


Sequence of Upsets

by yutorin



Series: The Heisei Kumi [6]
Category: Hey! Say! JUMP, Johnny's Entertainment, Johnny's Jr., Ya-ya-yah (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, Brain Cancer, Fist Fights, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Hospitalization, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Knife fights, Knives as presents, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Self Amputation, Murder, Okamoto Kenichi - Freeform, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Originally written in 2013, Other Johnny's Boys make small appearances, Past Drug Addiction, Power Exchange, Secret Relationship, SixTONES - Freeform, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 17:47:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 61,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20821319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yutorin/pseuds/yutorin
Summary: Keito has been in the Heisei Kumi for nearly two years now. He has a wonderful boyfriend, and he's become a strong fighter and an important member of the Kumi. Life has been good, but life as a yakuza can never stay peaceful for long.





	1. Chapter 1

Keito sat back in the hard plastic chair of the hospital waiting room, his elbow propped on the chair's arm, fingers absentmindedly playing with the black guitar pick dangling from the chain around his neck. He'd gotten used to the room over the past few months. This visit however, was taking longer than he had expected. Keito reminded himself that this was just a simple routine checkup. Everything was fine. Still, that ball of worry lodged in his chest refused to move, until finally a familiar figure pushed through the hospital doors and Keito stood, watching as his boyfriend of nearly nine months made his way over, slinging a jacket across his shoulders as he drew near. Once he was close enough he leaned in for a quick kiss, Keito smiling into it, slipping their hands together and lacing their fingers. When Shoon pulled away Keito asked

"How was it?" Shoon looked up at him, his large eyes disapproving.

"You always sound so sad when you ask that question Keito. Lighten up, don't worry so much. I'm fine. I got the same results as last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. I'm cancer free." The little ball of worry curled in on itself, imploding silently in the confines of his ribcage, and together they left the hospital, the March wind whipping their hair around their faces as they walked.

"Since it's right around the corner, let’s stop by the conbini on the way home and pick up some things for dinner. You're staying tonight, right?" Keito shook his head.

"I can only stay for an hour or so, the Kumi-cho wants me home for dinner, he had something he wants to discuss with me." Shoon nodded in acknowledgement, and after a quick stop at the conbini on the corner they made their way to his apartment complex, trudging up the stairs to the second story and unlocking the door.

Shoon's apartment was a tiny thing; just the size for one person. When Keito had first come to visit it had been sparse and uninviting, not at all as if someone lived there, but now it was warmer, and there were signs of life shown mostly in the pictures that hung on the walls. Keito stopped in the living room, eyes taking in the photograph hanging on the left wall. It was of the two of them, both smiling happily, taken on the night of their six month anniversary. Shoon had taken him to a nice restaurant; they'd had the waiter take their picture. A smile graced his lips as he thought about it. Shoon slipped past, beckoning him to the couch, and Keito joined him, snuggling up close and slinging an arm around the older mans shoulders, leaning in for a kiss. Shoon met him halfway, and for a bit they just sat there, sharing kisses contentedly, silently enjoying each other’s company. After a while however, Shoon finally spoke.

"How's everyone holding up? How's Yuto?" Yuto had taken a blade to the chest a week before in their last raid of the Wakaba's turf. The wounds weren't even close to life threatening, but he was confined to his bed until Yabu deemed him well enough to be up walking around.

"Yuto's fine; it was just a four, he's bored out of his mind stuck in his bed all day, but Yama-chan and I have been keeping him company—trying to keep him entertained." Shoon went silent for a moment, face going blank as he thought. After a bit he said

"Perhaps I'll come by this weekend; I think I have something that could cheer him up." Keito's interest was piqued.

"What're you going to bring?" Shoon grinned, shaking his head mischievously.

"You're just going to have to wait and see!" Keito sighed, and when his eyes caught on the face of the clock he frowned.

"I've got to be going." He unwrapped his arm from Shoon’s shoulders, standing, Shoon following suit as he made his way to the door. On the doorstep he turned, giving Shoon one last kiss.

"I love you." Shoon murmured tenderly, brushing Keito's bangs out of his eyes. Keito was struck with just how beautiful Shoon was, and he was once again amazed that he had him.

"I love you too." Keito told him, and with a smile and a small wave Keito left, the sun beginning to set as he made his way through the streets back home. Once there, he climbed the steps, pushing open the door with a yell.

"I'm home!" He stepped in, the voices of his housemates welcoming him back, and he grinned, the smell of good cooking washing over him. He peeked his head into the kitchen to see everyone getting ready for dinner. He'd made it just in time. As he walked in Takaki brushed past him, with a distracted

"You're in the way." Before heading up the stairs, taking a tray for Yuto. Takaki's words pulled Hikaru's attention, and at the sight of Keito he grinned, gesturing to Keito's spot at the table.

"Come sit. I was just about to go and fetch you myself, you idiot." Hikaru's words were rude, but affection was clear in his tone, and Keito just smiled, taking his seat next to him. Soon they all dug into their meal, Keito telling the others that Shoon's doctors visit had gone well, the rest of them sharing the highlights of their day. Dinner was loud, everyone joking and teasing as they all told their stories, and Keito found himself laughing with the rest of them when Ryutaro's comment about Daiki's height had Inoo in between the two, trying to keep Daiki from punching the younger boy in the face. Ryutaro's teasing on the subject had gotten to be a more and more frequent occurrence, as their youngest housemate had hit a growth spurt in the past few months, and was towering over them, now at eye level with Yuto and Yabu, but unlike the two skinny lanky boys his legs weren't just long, his chest was broad and strong. He dwarfed Daiki, and was delighting in the new development. Poor Inoo was doing a bad job of keeping the two separate, but one glare from Chinen had all three of them back in their seats, Daiki's last "Fuck you." fading from his lips.

After their meal Chinen caught his eye, his head tilting toward the door to his office, and silently Keito followed the little Kumi-cho back into the room, Chinen flicking on a light and taking a seat behind his desk. Keito followed suit, sitting on the other side of the desk, waiting anxiously for Chinen to begin speaking.

"I had a meeting with the Oyabun today." Chinen started, and Keito immediately sat up just a bit straighter at the mention of his father. "He wanted to know how you had adjusted to our lifestyle since he had dumped you on our—" Chinen paused. "—my doorstep." There was another pause, eyes searching Keito's face. "I told him that you have become an accepted member of the household, and that you work very hard to please your housemates." At those words Keito felt a wave of gratitude wash over him. It was hard to tell what the Kumi-cho was thinking, and he was happy to have gotten such wonderful comments from him. Chinen fixed him with a glare. "Don't make me regret it. Just because your father is the boss doesn't mean you get special treatment." Keito nodded immediately and, satisfied, Chinen said

"That'll be all."

As soon as Keito exited Chinen's office Ryutaro grabbed him by the arm, dragging him past the poker game currently going on in the living room and yanking him up the stairs to the bedroom the younger boy shared with Yabu, shutting the door hastily behind them once they had arrived, rounding on Keito immediately.

"What did the Kumi-cho want with you?!" Keito was taken aback.

"What?"

"What did he talk to you about? What did you tell him?!" Ryutaro was angry, his hands balled into fists, but when his eyes met Keito's own the main emotion Keito saw there was fear. Ryutaro was panicking.

"My dad. We just were talking about my dad." Keito announced, deciding not to ask too many questions. He didn't want to get himself punched. Ryu blinked, clearly that was not the answer he had been expecting.

"He didn't find out that you know about us?" Keito was confused.

"What?"

"Kumi-cho. He didn't just talk to you about how you know about....us? Me. You know." Ryu paused. "You didn't tell him?" Oh, so that's what this was all about. Ryu was worried about his relationship with Chinen.

"No! That's...I wouldn't...I mean...no." Keito tripped over his words, his denial bursting forth in a jumble. He took a breath, trying to sort it all out. "I've kept your secret. No one knows but me, I promise." At Keito's words Ryu shut his eyes, his head tilting back as he sighed, his shoulders slumping in relief.

"Shit. He's making me crazy." Keito heard his housemate mutter, and he grinned a bit at that. Ryutaro rarely ever lost control, but when he thought his relationship was in danger he went out of his mind with worry immediately. It was kind of nice to know that Ryu had the ability to care so much.

"I'm going to check in on Yuto if you don't need me anymore." Keito announced, and Ryutaro waved his hand at the door, signaling that Keito was free to go. Keito wandered through the hallways until he made it to the room he shared with Yuto, pushing the door open. Yuto was sitting up in bed, his chest bare except for the bandages, a chess board balanced on his legs. Yamada and Daiki were in there, and as Keito came in Daiki pushed his rook across the board, a look of concentration on his face. Yamada was sitting on the floor by Daiki's feet, craning his neck to get a good look at the chess board, his katana lying in its sheath on the floor next to him. With a little smile Yamada assessed the board before leaning his head back to rest on Daiki's knees, looking up at Keito.

"Hey guys." Keito said, and Yuto smiled up at him, Daiki turning and giving Keito a nod of recognition before flicking his attention back to the board. "How's the game going?" Before either of the two that were actually playing could respond, Yamada said

"It's almost over. It's already been won." Daiki looked down at his boyfriend, running a small hand through Yamada's hair affectionately. Yuto just pouted.

"Yama-chan, it's annoying when you do that." Sure enough, within two more moves Daiki was calling out a smug

"Checkmate." Yuto sighed, flicking over his king in defeat. Quickly they cleaned up the board, and soon Yamada and Daiki left, Daiki's left hand resting discreetly in Yamada's left pants pocket, his arm snaked around Yamada's hips. Yuto sighed, leaning back in bed, hooking his fingers in the spaces between the boards of the top bunk over his head, the perfect picture of boredom.

"Shoon's coming by over the weekend; he said he has something that'll cheer you up." Keito announced, sitting on the edge of Yuto's bed, slinging an arm around his roommate's shoulders. Yuto looked up at him, excitement already gleaming in his eyes at the words.

"What is it?"

"He wouldn't tell me, he just said to wait and see." Yuto brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his chin in concentration, lips pursed, brow furrowed as he considered the possibilities. He and Keito batted ideas back and forth for a bit, and as they brainstormed Keito got ready for bed. Yuto was speculating about a model airplane when Keito finally went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

It was three days later, and Yuto had moved to the couch for the day, laying sprawled out with his torso propped up, his lanky body barely fitting across its length, Keito sitting with his housemate playing cards to pass the time when the front door swung open, Shoon stepping across the threshold. Keito stood, discarding his cards on their coffee table to welcome his boyfriend properly, taking Shoon’s jacket and scarf—the scarf Keito had given him two Christmases ago—and hanging them up, Shoon leaning in, asking silently to be kissed. Slightly embarrassed to be kissing in front of other people, Keito felt himself blushing, but he pressed their lips together, enjoying the feeling of it for a moment before pulling away.

"Hey! Come to see the cripple?" Yuto called jokingly from his spot on the couch. When Keito turned he saw Yuto swinging his legs over the side, standing up properly and he frowned.

"Yuto, you're not supposed to be moving." At his words Yuto shook his head, walking over to them.

"I'm fine 'ya know. That bastard's just being over protective." Shoon frowned a bit too, but his eyes narrowed, a small smirk on his face, and he said

"Well if you're fine I guess you won't be needing my surprise." He held up a large square thick brown leather book, and Yuto's eyes widened, and he looked from the book to Shoon’s face, surprised.

"You still have it? You've kept it all of this time?" Shoon smiled, his gaze falling to the book and he nodded.

"I've kept it." Yuto reached out for it, but Shoon pulled back, away from Yuto's outstretched hand, and said

"No—you're all healthy now, you don't need this. I think I'll just put it back in my closet." Yuto frowned, glaring indignantly at his former Kumi-cho, but he flopped back down on the couch, waiting patiently as Shoon took a seat next to him, the book in his lap. Curious, Keito sat down on Shoon's other side, and just as Shoon was about to begin Yabu and Hikaru burst through the door, chatting amiably. When they saw Shoon however they stopped, their eyes taking in the brown book in Shoon's hands.

"Is...is that what I think it is?" Yabu asked, almost reverently, eyes glued to the book. Shoon nodded, saying

"I was just about to open it."

"And you weren't going to tell the rest of us?! Mayo, that's just mean." Hikaru said lightly, flopping down on the couch next to Keito, swinging his tattooed arm across Keito's shoulders comfortably and shifting in close, craning his neck to look at the book. Yabu took post behind the couch, leaning over the back to see past Shoon's shoulder, but after a moment he stood back up, yelling

"Shoon brought his photo album!" There was a moment of silence, and then the thundering of footsteps down the stairs. Daiki, Yamada, Inoo, and Takaki came crashing down in a flurry of movement.

"No way!" Takaki exclaimed, but they all took seats in a big mass around Shoon. After another moment Ryutaro emerged from Chinen's office, the littler boy slipping out after him, and to Keito's amazement what had started out as a small gathering had turned into everyone in the house sitting or standing around Shoon, all because of this book. Once they were all situated, Yuto announced

"You can start now. Open it!" Shoon looked around at all of the eager faces, and he smiled.

"Just like old times." His voice was quiet, Keito only catching it because he was seated right next to Shoon, squished up close due to the way everyone was trying to fit. He raised a hand, pulling the cover open, and Keito immediately understood why this book was so special. There taped carefully onto the first page was a photograph of Hikaru and Yabu, no older than ten or eleven. They were tiny, thin, and Hikaru had Yabu curled up in his lap. In the background of the photo there was another figure, blurry and indistinguishable. Underneath the photo were the words _Hikaru brings Yabu home—2000_. Inoo giggled, and he whispered loud enough for everyone to hear

"Hikaru was cute when he was little!" Yabu rounded on Inoo, looking offended.

"What about me, wasn't I cute?" Inoo just giggled, and Yabu shoved at him playfully.

"What does it mean when it says you brought him home?" Keito asked, turning to Hikaru for the answer. Hikaru pointed to the picture, explaining.

"This was before the Oyabun—well then he was the Kanbu—your father offered us a place in the clan. We were homeless children that lived together. Shoon, Taiyo, and I. We usually stayed in this abandoned apartment building, and one day I'm out pick pocketing people, and I found this guy—" Hikaru jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Yabu. His tall companion just put a friendly hand on his shoulder, smiling. "—out with the trash bins. I brought him back with me, and he's just stuck 'round." After Hikaru finished Shoon interjected.

"I had this camera, it was old and someone had lost it. Anyway, I had just found it when Hikaru brought Yabu in. I was testing it out when I took this picture." He tapped the page, and Keito nodded, eyes sweeping over the young faces. Hikaru was smiling, looking amazingly innocent, and Yabu was tiny. Both were wearing baggy clothes, loose T-shirts and jeans. He assumed that the figure in the background had to be Taiyo. All of a sudden he realized that this album could be full of pictures of the dead boy. He was curious, but nervous to know more about their fallen member. Shoon flipped the page, and everyone leaned in, Keito now with a newfound interest.

There on the page were four photographs, each one a portrait. There was one of Hikaru, and one of Yabu, and Shoon too was there, looking amazingly young. Then, the fourth photo was of a boy Keito assumed must be Taiyo. He looked like any other young boy, dark hair cut in an almost bowl shape fashion, with a large mouth and twinkling eyes. He could have been anyone. It was strange looking at his portrait and knowing that when the others did it evoked some emotion while he felt nothing. He didn't feel any affection, or sense of great loss when looking at the boy's face. Some part of him had expected to. Not liking the empty feeling it gave him, he turned his head. On the opposite page was a picture of them all together, sitting in an area that looked like a gym or a studio. Shoon pointed to it, saying

"Keito, your father took this one. It was just after I had agreed to become part of the clan. I think he has a copy of it somewhere." They all looked scruffy and scrawny, but they had smiles on their faces, and they looked clean.

"That day he gave us all new shoes, remember?" Yabu said, leaning over the back of the couch. Hikaru nodded, and then Shoon flipped the page. This next set of pictures was seemingly unrelated. On the left was a picture of Hikaru and another boy, this time Keito recognized him as Taiyo, arm wrestling in the grass. They were both giving it their all, their young faces screwed up with the effort. On the other page was a portrait of an adorable little boy, and as soon as it was revealed a series of coos were heard from his housemates. Keito himself fighting hard not to comment. Yuto was just too cute, with large brown eyes and babyish round cheeks, and an air of innocence that was associated with youth.

"There's a big gap between these two." Hikaru said, "I remember this one," he pointed to the picture of himself arm wrestling Taiyo "it was taken the day after we'd moved here," he gestured around, indicating the place they were currently living in. "and you took us to the park to celebrate. But Yuto didn't come until like two years later, right?" Shoon nodded, and he turned to Yabu, as if waiting for him to explain the time gap.

"I broke the camera, remember? We were unpacking, and it fell down the stairs. We got Shoon a new one for his birthday a few years later."

"Can we please just talk about how cute Yuto is?" Yamada interjected, and Yuto giggled, a small blush spreading across his cheeks.

"That was the day I came to live here, right?" Yuto said, leaning forward to look at the photo. Shoon nodded.

"You were little, and you just showed up on our doorstep, begging to be allowed to stay, so we let you in for dinner."

"I wasn't begging!" Yuto said, sending a glare Shoon's way. "I had to beat up a bunch of your guys just to get an address out of them." Ryutaro rolled his eyes.

"Beat up a bunch of guys? You were puny."

"No, he did though. I remember. How'd you explain it to us? Karate or something." Yabu's brow was furrowed in thought, trying to remember. Yuto nodded.

"My parents had me take karate lessons before..." That's right. Yuto still had a family out there, a mom and dad somewhere that never found out what had happened to him. It was so easy to think that none of the others had any previous life before they came to the Kumi. It was strange to consider that some of them had another home they could go to, with blood relatives to stay with. While Keito had his father, he'd grown up with the possibility of becoming a yakuza ever present, while the rest of them it seemed felt that there wasn't much of a choice.

There were a few more pictures of little Yuto interacting with the older housemates, and then Shoon turned a page, and Inoo yelled

"Dai-chan!!" The photograph was Daiki, looking tiny, sitting at the kitchen table. He wasn't looking at the camera, and he wasn't really smiling; he had a very serious expression on his face. He was bundled up in layers of winter clothes, but they seemed to be a bit too big. Behind him, Keito saw Yamada wrap his arms affectionately around Daiki's chest from behind, under Daiki's own arms, resting his head on Daiki's shoulder.

"You're so cute." Yamada said quietly, not really talking for everyone to hear but not bothering to whisper.

"That was my birthday! I remember; the rest of us had made friends with Inoo, and we invited him over to celebrate, right Inoo?" Yabu turned to Inoo, and his younger housemate nodded, remembering.

"I brought Daiki along, and then Shoon offered to let us stay after I voiced my concern that Daiki was gonna die. The little bastard was too small to be out in the streets in January with no winter clothes."

"I was fucking fine." Daiki growled, but Inoo rolled his eyes.

"You had one ratty T-shirt. Shoon made me get you warmer clothes as soon as you walked through the door." Hikaru protested. "That outfit in the picture was mine." The next few pictures were of Yabu's birthday celebrations, Inoo looking just as scrawny as Yabu, their dark hair overgrown slightly, falling around their smiling faces. Taiyo was taller than all of the others, but he looked like he was the same age as the rest of them. There were more pictures of the housemates, and in them Inoo seemed to be getting along with the other boys, but Daiki didn't seem to be interacting much, standing away from the rest in almost all of the photos, unsmiling. Then, a new face came up. It was Takaki, but he had changed a lot since he was younger. The face was the same but he had dark hair, and bangs. Keito barely recognized him.

In the photo he was nursing a bleeding lip, and he was glaring, looking rather miserable.

"This one was the first day Daiki showed any affection toward his housemates." Shoon said, turning to talk directly to Daiki. "I was worried that you didn't care for them at all, but then this little bastard—" He glanced over at Takaki, who to Keito's surprise looked a bit embarrassed. "—crept up on us and stabbed_ Taiyo_ of all people, and Daiki immediately socked him right in the face, as hard as he could. We were all shocked."

"Oh, just turn the page already." Takaki grumbled, and to Keito's surprise the next picture was of Takaki smiling like an idiot, surrounded by the other boys, and in the pictures that followed he seemed to have fit in almost immediately, despite his hostile welcome. They all seemed rather happy and healthy, until one photograph came up labeled _Christmas—2005_. The boys were all looking ragged, beat up and worn out, some with black eyes and split lips, Hikaru and Shoon both sporting bandages. They were all sitting in the front room, the room they were in right then, around a Christmas tree, presents littering the ground. In one corner of the couch a little figure was curled up in a ball, wearing clothes that hung off of its tiny frame. The boy was almost skeletal, and it took Keito a minute to realize who it was. When he did, he gasped.

"Yamada!" Yamada looked down at the younger version of himself, face hard and stony. "What happened?" Keito asked, shocked by the state all of them were in in the picture.

"We had raided the Wakaba that Christmas Eve, and we got beaten pretty badly. That was when I brought Yamada home." Shoon explained. Keito nodded, reexamining the photo. Yamada's sullen, sunken face, so amazingly _thin_ sent a shiver down his spine, and he had to fight back a cringe as he remembered what Yamada had gone through before he'd come to their Kumi. Within every photo Yamada was in throughout the rest of the album you could see his progression to better health, his weight gain, muscle building up on his bones; and in nearly all of them Yuto was by his side. It was easy to see how Yamada could fall for him.

When the first picture of Chinen came up Keito was amazed. The little boy in the photo was minuscule. Of course, he was still short, but even so he was ridiculously small. Even more surprising perhaps was the expression on his face. He was smiling, his smile wide, exuberant in his obvious happiness. It was amazing. Keito had never seen Chinen look that happy in the time he'd known him. Not once had he ever seen him smile like that. It looked so easy in the photograph. There were only two pictures before another new face was staring at them from the book's pages. Ryutaro was very small, and he wasn't smiling, just staring at the camera. Then abruptly the pictures ended, the pages going blank.

"That's it?" Inoo asked, leaning over the couch arm to flip a few pages back and forth for some more pictures. After a few he did find one, wedged in the back, loose. It was a picture of all of them except Shoon standing posed in the entryway to the kitchen next to the stairs, like a family portrait. The young ones were in the front, Yamada, Yuto, Chinen and Ryutaro standing there with serious expressions on their faces. Behind them the older boys had arms slung across each other’s shoulders, still looking young. Taiyo, the tallest, was in the center flanked on either side by Yabu and Hikaru, and when everyone caught sight of it they all stilled. It went deadly silent, a weight in the air that put Keito on edge. Even Shoon had frozen, eyes glued to the photograph.

Keito leaned forward, picking it up tentatively, searching the picture for indications to his housemate’s reactions. Sure, it had Taiyo in it, but plenty of the other pictures had him in it, and they didn't act this way. He flipped it over, checking the back. Scrawled in pen across the image was a date. _October 21, 2006_ Keito found himself freezing up in shock as a sickening realization washed over him. _October twenty-first…_ He flipped the picture back over, staring into Taiyo's face as nausea churned his stomach. That picture was taken the last day Taiyo was alive. Hours later he had died.

"We should put some more pictures in this thing. We could fill it up." Yuto's words broke the silence, and Keito put the photograph back inside of the album as Shoon gently shut the large book. There were a few nods of agreement, and they all gradually scattered, Takaki starting on dinner. Yuto stood, joining Takaki in the kitchen, sitting at the dining room table and chattering on to him, leaving Keito and Shoon alone on the couch. Shoon set the album on the coffee table, turning his full attention to Keito, slipping his hand into Keito's own and leaning forward to brush a loose hair off of his forehead.

"So, I was hoping you'd come by this Thursday." Shoon said, his thumb running softly over the top of Keito's own.

"Oh?" Keito said, tilting his head to the side a bit, playing coy.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could have a nice dinner, maybe you could...stay over?" Shoon kept his eyes on Keito's face, a small smile on his lips, and Keito felt a flutter of anticipation in his stomach. Shoon just sat there waiting, his big eyes sure and steady.

"What's the occasion? We don't usually get together on Thursdays." Shoon blinked in surprise at the question before a grin of delight broke out over his face, and he let out a little giggle of happiness.

"Keito...it's White Day! Thursday's White Day!" _Oh._ Shoon pressed a kiss to his cheek, and said

"I'll be expecting you. Seven thirty, don't be late." He stood, releasing Keito's hand with a small squeeze and scooping up the photo album, tucking it under his arm. Keito stared at him in confusion. Why was he leaving?

"I have to go and meet with a client; one of those dinner business meetings. I gotta go." He slipped on his jacket as Keito stood, and after a quick glance to make sure no one was near, Keito cupped his boyfriend's face, curling one big palm around the base of his skull, and he tilted his head forward, giving Shoon a gentle kiss. Shoon pulled him in, hands hard on Keito's hips, deepening the kiss. Suddenly there was a wolf-whistle and Keito jerked back, mortified. His head whipped around, a blush burning his cheeks. Hikaru smirked, leaping over the back of the couch and sprawling out on the cushions and giving Keito a pointed look. Shoon just wrapped an arm around Keito's waist, giving him a quick hug and whispering

"You don't have to be embarrassed, it’s okay." before slipping out the door. There was a moment where they just stood there looking at each other, but then Hikaru pulled out a pack of cards, and soon they had a friendly game of war going.

"So, d'you think they've done it yet?" Hikaru asked, scooping up Keito's eight of clubs.

"Who?"

"Daiki and Yamada." He smacked down a ten of hearts, beating Keito's seven of spades, but Keito barely noticed as he thought about the question. Daiki and Yamada were going on five years together, and their relationship had been pretty steady, apart from that thing with Yuto that had happened over a year ago. Then again, when Hikaru had asked the previous June, Daiki had brushed off the question at once. He thought about just a few days before when Daiki had casually slipped his hand into Yamada's back pocket, and he tried to figure it out. Honestly, he didn't know. Probably. Then again, maybe not. That all depended on...Yamada.

"If they are, I'll bet Daiki tops." Hikaru said, slamming down a three of clubs and whining a little when Keito beat him with a jack. Keito tried to force the mental image of Yamada and Daiki rolling around on their bed together out of his mind, but he nodded. Daiki would definitely top.

"Okay, let's talk about something that doesn't make you blush." Hikaru said, and Keito saw an opportunity.

"Hikaru, how old were you when you started hanging out with Shoon?" Hikaru paused for a moment before smacking down his card.

"Seven." Keito was floored.

_"Seven?!"_ Hikaru nodded, straightening up his stack of cards waiting to be played.

"Yeah, I was on the streets for about a week before he found me. I ran away. My parents weren't the greatest, and my brothers—I had two older brothers—they didn't want any reminders of the home they had left."

"Had? Did they...?" ...die? The unspoken word was registered, and Hikaru shook his head.

"My brothers? No. I doubt it. My parents? I don't know. A heroin addiction isn't really the best way to keep yourself alive. I hadn't thought about it, honestly." _Oh._ Hikaru's gaze turned from the cards on the table to Keito's face, judging how he was handling the news.

"Keito...it's okay. I mean...it's not. But it was a long time ago." He rolled his shoulders, flipping down another card, and barely glancing at it before scooping Keito's up.

"Dinner!" Takaki called from the kitchen, and Hikaru stood immediately.

"C'mon you fool. Food." He said, and Keito stood, following his housemate to the table. Hikaru shook his head a bit to himself, flopping down in his seat at the head of the table opposite to Chinen. Keito took the seat next to him, and the conversation was closed.


	3. Chapter 3

It was five days later when Thursday rolled around and Keito was feeling rather nervous, straightening his suit jacket for the third time in two minutes as he stared into the bathroom mirror. Yabu grinned around his toothbrush, taking it out of his mouth and spitting into the sink, his eyes meeting Keito's in the reflection of the mirror.

"Brat, you look great. Quit fidgeting and get outta here, it's time for you to be off. Where the hell did that tie come from anyway?" Keito instinctively looked down at the tie. It was made of snow white silk, stark against his black dress shirt and blazer, and he rubbed it gently, liking the way it felt sliding under his fingertips. It had been in his closet when he had gone to get changed for his date.

"I don't know. It just appeared in our room, and Yuto said it’s not his. It suits today though, so I thought I’d wear it." Yabu nodded, eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned down to the sink faucet and rinsed out his mouth. He was just putting his toothbrush away when there was a knock on the door.

"You guys done in there? I need to take a—" Inoo's voice was drowned out by a bellow from down stairs, and Yabu turned to Keito for a split second as they both had the same realization. They were being attacked. Yabu grabbed the door handle and they all charged down the stairs pell-mell, Yabu pulling a knife out of his pants pocket and flicking it open as they went, prepared.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs Yabu flung himself at the guy nearest to them, slamming him in the back of the head. Keito meanwhile found himself face to face with Shidai Mirai. He used to worry about meeting her in battle, not liking that he was expected to beat up a woman, but he'd seen what she could do, and he swung his right fist at her without faltering. She sidestepped, kicking up for his face, but he caught her ankle, jerking her off balance and forcing her to go crashing to the floor. She screeched in indigence and reached up as she tumbled down, grabbing at his tie, pulling on it and choking him, forcing him down, and when he get close enough she bit down hard on his nose, drawing blood. He wrenched his face away from her and slammed his skull into hers, hoping to knock her out. She didn't pass out but she was stunned, her grip going slack, and he stood putting a foot on her shoulder to keep her down.

He glanced up from where she lay on the floor to see Miura Haruma break away from his fight with Yuto and he took a step forward, punching the older man in the gut, bending him over slightly. Over top of his enemy's bent form he quickly glanced around the room for his housemates, hoping to spot Hikaru or Yamada. He always worried the most about them during raids. Hikaru always seemed to land himself a few new scars, while Yamada had a psychopathic stalker out to get him. Unfortunately his glance took a bit too long, Miura wrapping his arms around Keito's waist and slamming him to the ground. He landed a punch on the left side of Keito's face that Keito was sure would turn into a black eye, the impact causing his head to pound, blood rushing to the area, before Takaki wrenched him off, getting him square in the nose, blood spurting out and splattering across his face as Miura fell.

He held out a hand, yanking Keito to his feet, and Keito used his forward momentum to ram a shoulder into the back of the guy fighting with Ryutaro. He stumbled forward at the impact, and Ryu slashed at him with a knife, grazing his stomach. Keito turned back around to see Miura aiming a kick at the back of Takaki's knees from where he lay on the floor, and he grabbed Takaki's arm, forcing him out of the way. He ducked under a different flailing arm, but the arm caught Takaki in the face, and the older man whipped around, attention turned to his new assailant. Keito found himself shoulder to shoulder with Hikaru, staring down the blade of Sato Takeru.

"Just like old times." Hikaru said as he registered Keito next to him, his eyes not moving from the Wakaba member. His stance was wide, and he held a pocket knife in his right hand, ready. Takeru lashed out, and Hikaru jumped to the side, whipping his knife across his enemy's arm. The cut wasn't deep, just barely slicing through the skin on his forearm, making him bleed. Takeru swept his blade toward Hikaru, and Keito took the opportunity to swing a punch into his jaw, the impact sending pain shooting up his hand, but Takeru stumbled sideways, off balance, and Keito hit him again, and again, until his opponent's face was a bloody, swollen mess. Once Hikaru felt Keito had beaten Takeru down he raised a foot, slamming his heel down into the side of his head, knocking the man unconscious.

"Are you alright?!" Hikaru asked. Keito nodded, looking over at him, and he realized his left eye was swelling shut, his vision impaired. Hikaru shook his head.

"You've managed to bust your face up nicely, you bastard." Keito turned away, trying to ignore Hikaru's words he looked for something else to focus on, and in that instant Keito saw Yamada. He was squaring off with Yanagishita Tomo, katana keeping his opponent at bay, but Kamiki Ryunosuke was pulling himself to his feet, leaving Inoo bloody and half conscious on the floor. Keito yelled, trying to warn Yamada, but as Kamiki lunged to grab him from behind Daiki threw himself over the couch, wrapping his arms around Kamiki's throat with a roar, and they both went crashing to the ground. They landed heavily, and Daiki immediately pulled himself to his knees on top of Kamiki, arm pulled back to deliver the intense frenzy of punches he always had saved for occasions like this one. But Kamiki didn't move to get up, and something about his stillness made Keito feel rather sick. Daiki paused for just a moment, sensing that something was off, and when Keito registered the angle at which the Wakaba member’s neck was bent, nausea washed over him. For a moment the fighting continued, until Tomo yelled

"HE'S DEAD! FUCK—THEY KILLED HIM!" The shock of those words put a hold on just about everything. Tomo skirted around Yamada's sword as Daiki got to his feet, looking down at Kamiki's body in disbelief. One of the others lunged for Daiki with a shout, but Hikaru grabbed the boy and in one swift motion used his momentum to slam him into the coffee table. Yamada was standing there frozen, looking down at the face of his childhood friend, the boys dead eyes wide, and he just watched as a few Wakaba members grabbed Kamiki, his limp form with his blank staring eyes unnerving, and within a few minutes of frantic scrambling and cursing they had left, retreating back out the door, leaving the house in a stunned state of destruction.

It was Inoo that set them in motion, a small whimper escaping his lips that had Yabu rushing over to him.

"Inoo let me get a good look at you. Can we move you?" Chinen and Yuto moved to join Yabu at Inoo's side. The little Kumi-cho had a split lip but looked otherwise unscathed. Yuto looked fine, and once Yabu had cleared him for being moved he lifted Inoo up, carrying him bodily to the kitchen table, and with Yabu's help he got their housemate situated. Daiki meanwhile, despite having been the closest to his best friend, didn't move. He stood still, face blank, his palms open, eyes staring down at the patch of carpet where Kamiki had been laying. Yamada too was frozen, his sword still in his hand, his face wrenched up in a strange, terrifying expression like he couldn't decide if he was angry, sad, or relieved. He stood there, as if not quite understanding what had happened, and Keito's stomach was churning, threatening to send all of its contents up his throat. Hikaru put a hand on his back, between his shoulder blades, the touch comforting, and he said

"Let's clean up your nose. It's bleeding all down your face." Keito put a hand up to the bridge of his nose as Hikaru began leading him to the kitchen, and sure enough his fingers came back tacky with drying blood, the smell of rust washing over him, and Hikaru sat him down in a chair next to the table where Yabu was removing the last bits of Inoo's shirt. Keito's back was turned away from his housemate, and Hikaru took a wet washcloth to his face, gently wiping away the blood, and as he did Keito realized that his left eye had swollen completely shut, unable to see out of it at all. Hikaru wiped the washcloth over the cuts on his nose where Shidai had bitten him, and he winced slightly at the sting, the adrenaline wearing off a bit but the shock still remaining, leaving him exhausted, upset, and in pain. His head throbbed, and his hands were shaking. His stomach was still bashing itself against the walls of his body, and every time he blinked he saw Kamiki's dead eyes staring back at him through the dark. He'd never seen a dead man so closely before. Sure, New Years over a year ago he had seen a dead man, but that had been from a great distance. This time he had been barely two meters away from Kamiki when Daiki had snapped his neck.

Hikaru handed him some ice cubes wrapped in a new washcloth to help with the swelling, and after looking Keito over to make sure he was okay he went to Ryutaro, who had managed to get a nice gash on the back of one of his calves, Chinen watching the two of them from a distance as Hikaru began patching their youngest housemate up. Suddenly, the phone rang, the noise shrill, causing them all to jump. Who the hell would be calling them? Keito was closest so he stood, plucking it off of its dock on the wall and holding the old out of date receiver to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, are you still coming? I've been waiting." _Shoon. Their date._ Keito adjusted the washcloth on his swollen eye, and he tried to come up with the right words. What was he supposed to tell him?

"No. We were attacked." He paused, and Shoon's voice filtered through the little speaker, sounding concerned.

"Are you okay? Who's hurt? Should I come by?"

"I'm fine. Most of us are. Inoo got beaten pretty badly, but he—" He turned to Yabu, who flashed him a thumbs up. "—he's gonna be fine. But um..." He lowered his voice to a mumble. "Something happened with Daiki...he—it's...well..." He didn't want to say it, as if keeping the actual words from being spoken would keep it from being any less true. Shoon seemed to understand the reason behind Keito's hesitation, and he said

"Put Chinen or Hikaru on the phone, okay? Everything's gonna be alright."

"Okay." Keito held the receiver to his chest, muffling what Shoon could hear from his end, and he said

"Shoon's on the phone. He wants to be filled in." They all turned to Chinen, but the little Kumi-cho was washing out some of Inoo's wounds, and with a quick glance he nodded to Hikaru. Hikaru looked up from where he was wrapping Ryutaro's leg, the youngest boy's pants off, laying on the love seat as Hikaru worked on him. Hikaru signaled for Keito to hold on for a moment, and he taped the gauze bandage on, pulling himself to his feet. Swiftly he took the phone from Keito's hands, holding it up to his ear, and he sent a dismissive glance Keito's way. Keito took the hint, skirting around the kitchen table where Yabu and Chinen were tending to Inoo, and Yuto was stitching a small deep cut on Takaki's hip, over to where Ryutaro was repositioning himself to a sitting position on the couch, his pants pulled back on but still unbuttoned at the top, his jaw set against the pain as he moved. Keito righted the coffee table from where it had been knocked on its side and immediately discarded his ice cubes on its surface.

"Let's get you to bed." He said, offering Ryu a hand. Ryutaro didn't protest the special treatment, but he did glare a bit when Keito slung an arm around his waist, trying to support as much of his housemate's weight as he could as they very slowly made their way up the stairs and down the hall to Ryutaro's room.

Once the younger boy was situated in his bed Keito returned down the stairs. Hikaru was no longer on the phone, and Keito's eyes swept the room for him, bewildered when he couldn't spot their second in command. In his sweep however, his eyes landed on Yamada and Daiki. They were both staring at each other, their faces wrenched up in distress and fear and shock, and they still had barely moved from their places. It was heavy to look at, weighing down on him and making his stomach twist a bit. He turned his gaze away, at a loss as to what to do. Yuto however, barked at him from across the room.

"You get s'more ice on that damn eye immediately, you fool. Don't think we're gonna let you wander around uselessly while you're all beat up."

"I'm not beat up! And I'm not wandering around uselessly! I just put Ryutaro to bed, damn it!" Keito protested, all the while Yuto was putting new ice cubes into his washcloth. He handed it to Keito, and as he took it Keito said

"Thanks." Yuto grinned.

"Uh huh. Look at you, pretending to be a belligerent little fucker with yourself serving words. You're so cute." He plopped down on the couch, offering the seat next to himself for Keito to sit. "I don't like hearing you curse Keito. We've got enough of that type of language as it is. It's refreshing to hear speech that sounds decent sometimes. Don't go making a habit out of it. For me, yeah?" Yuto had gotten serious, and Keito blushed a bit, embarrassed. He nodded, and Yuto smiled grandly at him. "You're welcome though." He added at the end, gesturing to the ice. Then, together, Hikaru and Shoon swept in. They must have been forming some sort of plan because they both made a beeline for Daiki and Yamada, Shoon taking Yamada, dragging the shorter young man back outside, while Hikaru took Daiki and marched him up the stairs. After a moment everything went silent, doors slamming shut after them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chinen glared up the staircase after Hikaru and Daiki, not saying a word before returning to his office, a washcloth full of ice in his left hand, ready for use on his swelling split lip. Yabu was left alone in the kitchen with Inoo, finishing up the last of his bandaging. Inoo was mostly conscious, and he watched silently as Yabu patched him up. For a time it was quiet, all of them weary, the stress of the attack weighing down on their shoulders, a tension in the air hinting at all of their shock at the events of the evening. Yuto rested his head on Keito's shoulder, playing with his pocket knife, flicking the blade out and tucking it back in with his thumb over and over, the noise loud in the silence that had fallen across them. Eventually he stopped playing with it, his breathing evening out, and Keito realized that his friend had managed to fall asleep. He checked the clock on the wall, discarding his washcloth as all of the ice had melted and it was no longer cold. It was getting close to eleven at night.

Finally, Hikaru and Daiki tromped back down the stairs, Daiki immediately going over to Inoo, leaning over him and talking to him quietly, his bedside manner an amazing one-eighty from his usual self. Hikaru meanwhile examined Keito's eye, sitting on the couch catty corner to the love seat Keito was situated on, leaning forward to get a good look.

"It's already bruising. It's going to be nasty looking." Hikaru said, sighing. He got Keito more ice, holding to his eye. Keito smiled a little at him, and Hikaru returned the grin quietly, Keito reveling in the fact that it was so easy now to make him smile. Daiki and Yabu started helping Inoo down from the table, and between the two of them they were trying to situate their housemate to carry him up the stairs to bed. They had just gotten him down, his upper half being supported by Daiki when Shoon and Yamada came back inside. Yamada had puffy red eyes, like he'd been crying, but he looked calm and collected. Daiki looked up, eyes locking on his boyfriends face, and he froze when he registered the tear tracks. As if the front door opening had triggered it, the door to Chinen's office swung open, the little Kumi-cho sticking his head out.

"Hikaru, Shoon, I need to talk to you. Now." His face was blank, eyes sharp, the swollen lip not making him any less intimidating, and Keito was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that glare. Both Hikaru and Shoon however met his eyes and held contact, silently following the younger man into his office. Finally, the shuffling of movement and opening and closing of doors woke Yuto, and he scrunched his face up, yawning widely and lifting his head from Keito's shoulder.

"I'm going to bed." Yuto announced. "Coming?" Keito glanced over at Chinen's door. Tonight he was supposed to have had a romantic date with his boyfriend. That had been pretty much destroyed. He was weary, still able to see the dead boy's eyes behind his eyelids, and his head was pounding from the beating he had taken. He wanted to see Shoon. Somehow, Shoon would make him better. He could wait for Chinen to be through with him.

"No, I'm going to stay up for a bit." Yuto nodded, eyes still bleary with sleep, and he skirted past the group standing at the bottom of the stairs and disappeared. Daiki and Yabu were still supporting Inoo, trying to get him up, and honestly it seemed they had finally gotten a handle on it. Daiki was pointedly not looking at Yamada, his boyfriend standing a meter away, close enough that if Daiki wanted he could choose to speak to him, yet far enough that he could ignore him effectively. It was strange, Keito thought, that while before Daiki had had his eyes glued to Yamada's face, and now all of a sudden he refused to look at him. It took them a long time to get Inoo all the way up the stairs, but eventually they managed it. Once they'd disappeared around the corner Yamada followed, presumably going to bed, and Keito was alone in the living room. He didn't have to wait long; within fifteen minutes the Kumi-cho's office door pulled open, Hikaru and Shoon filing out. Once it had shut behind them Shoon turned to Hikaru.

"Thanks for your help tonight Hachibee." He said, and the use of Hikaru's childhood nickname reminded Keito of just how long they had known each other. Hikaru nodded, sighing a bit.

"Let's just hope it won't be too bad." With that, and a nod to Keito, Hikaru went to bed, looking worn through. Shoon turned his attention to Keito, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"What'd the Kumi-cho want?" Keito asked. Shoon sighed. It was then that Keito noticed just how frazzled looking Shoon was. He actually had a tie on _underneath_ his button down.

"He just wasn't happy with us for dealing with Daiki and Yamada. He feels that we're forgetting our place; I can see why he'd be concerned. We were both Kumi-cho's before him, and we didn't ask if he wanted us to handle the situation before we stepped in." Keito hadn't really been paying all that close of attention to what Shoon had been saying, too busy fixing his boyfriends backwards clothing, pulling the tie out from under his collar and trying to get it looking neat. That last sentence however, caught his focus.

"Wait...you were_ both_...Hikaru was Kumi-cho? When? How?" His hands stilled on the knot of Shoon’s tie, and the young lawyer nodded, taking Keito's hands and gently pulling them from his neck, leaving the tie half undone.

"When I left the Kumi, I had intended for him to become the next Kumi-cho. I had left a note appointing him as my replacement. Apparently Chinen challenged him for the position after my departure. Hikaru still served as the Kumi-cho for a short period of time, as I understand it." The information was unimportant in light of the evening’s events, and he set it aside to think about properly later; instead he ran a hand through Shoon’s dark silky hair, humming lightly in acknowledgement of his words.

"You got hit pretty badly." Shoon said, eyes sweeping over Keito's bruising face. Keito wished everyone would stop focusing on that. They all got black eyes sometimes and it didn't seem like as big of a deal when it happened to say Ryutaro or Yabu.

"I'm fine though." Shoon slung and arm around him, kissing him lightly on the forehead.

"I'm glad." Keito nuzzled him, leaning in for a kiss, and for a minute they sat there on the couch, languidly kissing, not concerned about being seen. Keito felt the residual tension from the raid leaving him, and the images of the dead Wakaba member tucked themselves away into a drawer in his mind, ready to torture him another time.

"It's too bad we couldn't have our date." Shoon murmured, face still millimeters from Keito's own, once he had broken their kiss. Keito made a small noise of agreement. "You look very handsome." Shoon said, and Keito looked down at his bloody sweaty suit, glancing back up at Shoon skeptically. Shoon just grinned, brushing some lint from his shoulder.

"You look tired. Everything's okay now, so go and get some rest. We can work on fixing things in the morning." Keito pressed their lips together again, so glad to have Shoon by his side. He always knew what to do to make everything bearable, if not fix it completely. Once they had broken apart, he stood, Shoon standing with him, and he pulled his boyfriend in for a hug, wrapping his arms around his strong shoulders and breathing in the scent of his shampoo. Finally, finally, Shoon left, and Keito made his way up the stairs. He was almost to his room when Hikaru's bedroom door swung open, and Hikaru was in his pajama pants, his torso sporting some bruises Keito hadn't noticed before that he must've gotten earlier that night. He stood in his doorway for a minute, as if battling with himself, trying to find the right words, but after a moment he swung the door shut again, and perplexed Keito just went to his own room, stripping out of his disgusting bloody clothes and sprawling out on his bed, managing to hit his bruised and swollen eye on his bed frame twice before finding a comfortable position.

He lay there staring into the darkness, and all of the contentment he had felt when he had been with Shoon suddenly was gone, and in the blackness he saw Kamiki's wide blank eyes, his too still, empty body laying on their living room floor, his neck twisted at an impossible angle. The shouts of the Wakaba members rung in his ears, and the look of pure stunned disbelief on Daiki's face made him want to think of something else, _anything else_. But closing his eyes didn't keep the images away, and it all kept replaying over and over across his vision, the events and faces swimming and mixing together all out of order, and at some point he realized that he must have fallen asleep, but it didn't matter, because it wouldn't stop. After only a few hours he woke, shaking, and he went to the bathroom, dry heaving into the sink for a bit, a cold sweat covering his body, and he stood there, shaking for what felt like hours, afraid to abandon the artificial lighting, scared that the darkness would let his nightmares come back to haunt him. He eventually went downstairs, flicking on a lamp and curling up in its light on the couch, sitting there numbly until the sun rose.

The days that followed had an underlying tension that kept Keito on edge. Everyone was quieter than usual, all of them thinking about Kamiki Ryunosuke. No one was more silent however, than Daiki. He barely spoke, rarely even allowing himself to stay in a room containing the rest of them, leaving as soon as Yamada entered, refusing to look at his boyfriend's face. Every time this happened Yamada would watch him leave, looking sad and at a loss. It was upsetting to have to bear witness to. They were all waiting to see what the Wakaba's next move was. But time passed, and nothing happened. Keito's eye was healing; it was no longer swollen, instead it was just a dark reddish purple, spread out in a large ring around his eye socket, making him look like a panda bear on one side of his face. Inoo was still bed ridden, an amazing bluish bruise covering his right jaw, bandages on his chest and shoulders, and down his left arm. Keito would go and sit with him alone or with a few of the others sometimes, talk to him and keep him company. It was during one of these visits with Yamada, who had joined Keito in the room, when Inoo said

"How're you holding up?" Their older companion held his gaze on Yamada's face, and Keito too turned to Yamada, concerned. Yamada shrugged.

"I'm...okay. I mean, he was my friend once...but I realized a long time ago that the person Kamiki-kun once was no longer existed." He stopped, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward, saying quietly "It's a bit of a relief, honestly. Knowing that there's not someone out there that has it out for me; knowing that I'm not going to be hunted when I walk out the door. I'd been living with it for so long I hadn't realized..." He rubbed his hands over his eyes, the way a person does when they're thinking seriously about something they'd rather not like to admit. When he looked back up at them he said

"There was one strange thing though. Yesterday Yabu came up to me. He asked if I wanted to go out with him and Takaki. I thought it was really weird. The way he said it was really empathetic, like I was going to breakdown if he mentioned what had happened." Yamada fiddled with his earring as he talked, rolling the little sakura blossom dangling from his earlobe between his fingertips. Inoo pursed his pouty lips at the news, flicking his bangs out from his eyes.

"That actually makes sense." Inoo explained. "Clubbing helps Yabu deal with really emotionally difficult things. He started doing it when Taiyo died. It was hard on all of us, you remember Yamada, but it was especially hard on Yabu." Inoo's voice went into a mock whisper. "I personally think he'd been harboring some feelings for Taiyo." Inoo sighed, running one feminine hand through his bangs. "He probably was just trying to comfort you, hoping to offer some relief. If you weren't with Daiki Takaki probably would have offered to sleep with you to help you relieve some stress. It's that type of thing." Yamada nodded, but as if Daiki's name had triggered something in him, concern furrowed his brow, and he sat up straighter, saying

"Inoo, has he come to see you yet?" The question caught everyone off guard, and Inoo froze for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. How is he?"

"He won't even look at me." Yamada said sadly. "He barely talks, and he curls up on the far side of the bed every night, facing the wall. He's retreating back inside himself, and he keeps having nightmares..." Yamada began sounding choked up, his voice hitting that pitch it got when he was upset. "I'm afraid for him. I want him to know that I still love him. I want to help him, and I don't know how." There was a bit of a pause, and Yamada said

"I was hoping perhaps you two might be able to help...I mean, you're his best friend," he looked over to Inoo, "and you're the only other person in the Kumi that's ever had a relationship." This part was directed to Keito. Keito felt a panic rising in him. Yamada wanted relationship advice? What was he supposed to say? Yamada and Daiki had been together for over four years, he and Shoon had been together for only nine months. Besides, Shoon had rarely even gotten involved in their battles. He'd never killed anyone.

He'd never killed—something in that thought made Keito slightly queasy. Somehow he knew that wasn't right. Shoon was the Kumi-cho for around six years. In that time he probably had killed someone. Suddenly, Keito's mouth was dry, and he found it hard to open. Luckily, Inoo spoke.

"Dai-chan's nightmares aren't something that in my experience you can make go away. It sounds like he's going through another bout of self loathing or something. I mean...it's hard to say. Last time he didn't let me help him, but that was a long time ago. Don't corner him with words, but," He paused, thinking. "show him that you love him."

"I want to—he's been avoiding me. I didn't think trying to force him to do anything would be smart, but I'm trying to make myself available to talk too..."

"He's avoiding you...but you two are still sharing a bed, right?" Inoo said, as if realizing something. Yamada nodded. "Could you be really...touchy in bed? Cuddle him, hold him. Don't force yourself on him or anything, but curl up squished against his side or something, to show that you want to touch him." Yamada nodded, looking pleased at the ideas Inoo was presenting. Keito had no idea how he could contribute, but Inoo's ideas made sense. By physically touching a person you showed that you weren't repulsed by them, and that closeness with them was, if not desirable, then at least not unwelcome. Luckily for him, Takaki pushed open his bedroom door, a tray of hot food in his hands for his wounded roommate, and he said

"Get your asses downstairs for dinner." Yamada stood, exiting the room, and Keito went to follow him, Inoo calling after him

"Tell Dai-chan he'd better come and see me tonight, or he's dead, yeah?" Keito turned once he had reached the door frame, nodding to his housemate before slipping down the stairs, delivering Inoo's message. Daiki disappeared up the stairs to visit his friend immediately after dinner, and though Keito never found out what had been said, in the days that followed not much was seen of Daiki or Yamada, but when they did emerge from their bedroom they were always touching, arms around waists and hands intertwined, clinging to each other as if the others presence was what was keeping them standing. It was a bit worrying just how little they separated, but Keito was relieved to see that they had gotten past shutting each other out.


	5. Chapter 5

A few nights later, Keito was the last one awake, his growling stomach keeping him up, and in consequence he was eating his fourth meal of the day when there was the creaking of a body on the stairs. After a moment to his amazement Daiki came around the corner, clad in nothing but an old pair of sweatpants and all alone. Keito watched as his housemate snatched an apple from the basket of fruit they kept on the counter and flopped into the chair opposite Keito. They hadn't been alone together since Kamiki had...died. He tried to gauge how Daiki was doing as Daiki plunged his knife into the flesh of the fruit, carving out a chunk with a wet snapping crunch and shoving the piece into his mouth, chewing loudly and pretending not to notice Keito's blatant staring.

For a few moments this continued, the only sounds Daiki's chewing and the blade cutting through the apple. Finally, Daiki dropped the oblivious facade, glaring over at Keito through his bangs, the obstruction doing nothing to soften the gaze.

"What the hell 're you starin' for you bastard?! Want another black eye?!" Daiki had tensed up, his small body stiff, prepared, fist clenched around the fruit. His tone was defensive, angry, and Keito flinched, looking away.

"I just was wondering how you were. I've been worrying about you..." Daiki froze, the tension draining from his muscled shoulders. That obviously wasn't what he had been expecting to hear. "You haven't quite been yourself and..." He paused, looking back over at his older housemate. "...I want you not to blame yourself for what happened. It was an accident." Embarrassed, Keito turned his attention down to his meal, shoveling food into his mouth.

"I don't have any guilt over killing that son of a bitch. I hated him. I hated him more than anything in the world." Daiki announced. The words took Keito by surprise, and his head shot up, eyes glued to Daiki's face. "He deserved to die. No one should do the things he did to Ryosuke and still get the privilege of breathing." Keito felt a wave of terror wash over him as he stared numbly across the table at his housemate. It wasn't so much the content of Daiki's words; it was the utter conviction with which he said it. The anger. He meant what he said. He did not regret killing that man. He truly felt that Kamiki had deserved death. It was so cruel. So heartless. The cold realization made Keito's breath hitch in his throat, and as he looked across the spans of table at Daiki he had not been more afraid of his housemate since he had first moved in.

"Still, it was...unfortunate." Daiki conceded, the anger fading from his voice. "I didn't mean to kill him." He launched into an explanation. "A few years ago Ryosuke made me promise not to. He pleaded with me, and told me Kamiki wasn't worth the effort. I just wish you all didn't have to see it. I wish it had happened another way, not here, not surrounded by everyone. That’s never something a person should have to watch, especially...especially when it's two important people in a person’s life. Ryosuke—" He paused, taking a shuddering breath, his knife listlessly tearing the remains of his apple to bits as his fingers twisted the blade.

Whatever he had been going to say, he must have thought better of it, because the next words out of his mouth were "It's going to take _time_ for everyone to recover from what happened. I know it's hard to look at someone in the way you used to before watching them kill a person and after. After the first time I killed a man, I know I had a hard time looking in the mirror for a long time." His voice had grown quieter as he had spoken, and Keito stared at Daiki, trying to take everything he had said in. Daiki did not regret in the slightest ending Kamiki's life. He just regretted the _way_ that it had happened—in their living room, in front of all of his friends and his boyfriend. Daiki just picked at the bits of apple strewn across the table, as Keito tried to come up with a response. What was he supposed to say to that?

Apparently he took too long because Daiki stood, tossing his apple core in the trash and rinsing off his blade before tromping back up the stairs. Keito just stared after him, Daiki's dragon tattoo reminding him once more—for the first time in a while—just who Daiki was. It sent a shiver down his spine.

It was a little over two weeks after the raid when there was a knock on the door. The three of them that were downstairs stilled, surprised. No one ever knocked. Ryutaro stood, walking over to it

"Maybe it's Shin." He offered, pulling it open. After a moment he turned back to the room, saying

"Oi, Keito! It's for you. I'm gonna go out, I've gotta meet a girl." Keito had been fiddling around with his guitar on the couch, working on a new song he was hoping on opening with at one of his regular gigs next month. He looked up from the strings, surprised. Who could it possibly be? What would they need him for? He stood, taking Ryutaro's place at the door, and was met with an unfamiliar man in a black suit. Pinned to his lapel was their Group's crest, and in his hands he held a bouquet, a bottle of champagne, and a small present wrapped in red paper. Upon seeing Keito he fell into a low bow, and said

"The Oyabun sends his deepest regrets that he is not able to be with you on this day of celebration, Young Master Okamoto. He wanted to pass along his most sincere congratulations, and he wanted me to tell you these exact words: Happy Birthday." The man offered Keito the things in his arms, and Keito—not knowing what else to do—took them meekly.

"Thank you." He said, and with one final bow the man in the suit left. Keito turned back inside the house, shutting the door. Immediately Yuto let out a little giggle, saying

"What was that all about,_ Young Master Okamoto?”_ His teasing was obvious, and Keito blushed in embarrassment.

"It's my birthday. Dad sent him." He'd completely forgotten. He was twenty today. He was an adult. He looked down at the items in his arms, and he smiled a bit. It had been a long time since he had celebrated a birthday.

"How old are you anyway?" Yuto asked, curious. Keito realized that he didn't actually know the exact ages of any of his housemates. They didn't really celebrate birthdays.

"I'm twenty now..." Yuto blinked in surprise.

"Dude, you're older than me. You're older than I'd thought! You're older than Yama-chan, and Ryu, and the Kumi-cho." Keito was shocked. He was older than Yamada? Older than Yuto?! Not knowing how to respond to that information, he busied himself with the items in his hands. He put the flowers in a vase, and in a stroke of inspiration he took them to the shrine room, a tiny almost closet-like room off of the living room where they kept a small shrine dedicated to Taiyo. The door to the room was practically invisible if you weren't looking for it, it had taken Keito over a year to find it himself. He put them by Taiyo's picture, praying a bit to Taiyo, wishing him happiness in the afterlife. Once that had been completed he set the champagne on the kitchen counter. He could legally drink now...not that it was something he'd ever really thought about too much. He didn't know how to open the bottle; he'd ask one of the others later. He returned to the couch, Yuto scooting in curiously at the sight of his present, and he said

"You should open it, _Young Master." _Keito rolled his eyes a bit at the jibe, hoping it wouldn't become a nickname, but he carefully began unwrapping his gift. Inside was a beautiful gold watch. He couldn't believe it. His father had completely forgotten his last few birthdays but this...what had he done to deserve this? He took it out of the box, and Yuto helped him fasten it carefully. It gleamed in the lamplight, catching his eye, and it weighed down heavily on his wrist. It would take some getting used to.

"So that's what fathers give their sons for their birthday." Yuto said, looking down at the watch. Keito felt some guilt wash over him at Yuto's statement, but Yuto just grinned at him.

"I'm going to get everyone to call you_ Young Master Okamoto." _He announced. Keito was horrified at the thought.

"No!" Yuto stood, turning and facing the stairwell, yelling up the space.

"Hey, Inoo! From now on we're going to call Kei—" Keito leaped on his friend, clamping a hand over his mouth. Yuto struggled to get him off, but Keito was relentless, gripping him tight. The whole thing eventually turned into a wrestling match, the two of them rolling around on the floor, bodies entangled, bumping into furniture, low curses and bursts of laughter escaping their lips. This lasted until Yabu came home, staring down at them on the floor in disbelief, and both of them, embarrassed, pulled apart and sat up, not meeting his eyes. Yabu just smirked in amusement.

"I know you two dumbasses aren't adults, but that doesn't mean you can act like you're bratty little kids."

"Actually, Keito's birthday is today, so technically, he is an adult." Yuto said, pointing. Yabu looked over at Keito in surprise, and Keito nodded meekly in confirmation. Yabu raised his eyebrows.

"Does Shoon know?" Keito blinked up at him.

"Um...no. I mean, I don't think so." Yabu pulled his cell phone from his pocket, punching in a number and holding it up to his ear. While it rang he helped Keito and Yuto to their feet, and they stood in silence, listening to Yabu's half of the conversation.

"Mayo! Yo, it's me." There was a slight pause. "Not much. A funny thing just happened. I was coming home from a loan job, and I found Keito and Yuto rolling around on the floor." Another pause. "No, they weren't making out." Keito glanced Yuto's direction, mortified, and he found a matching embarrassed blush at the insinuation spreading across his friends face. Yabu pouted a bit at his phone, continuing

"Well, I'm _telling you_ because your bastard of a boyfriend let slip that it was his damn twentieth birthday, and the brat hadn't told you." Keito watched Yabu's expression, going still, hoping to get some clue as to what Shoon was saying. Yabu's lighthearted manner faltered a bit, and he held the phone out to Keito.

"He wants to talk to you." Keito took the little device, placing it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Keito—today's your twentieth birthday?" Shoon sounded shocked, serious. Keito didn't understand what Shoon was so concerned about.

"Yeah."

"So you're telling me that I've been sleeping with a minor?" _Oh._ Keito felt a weight settle in his stomach. He could see how this could cause some problems.

"Well...yes." Shoon sighed. There was a barely audible curse from the other end, and after a pause Shoon continued.

"Keito, that's not okay. I never would have—if I'd known...I mean...damn it." Shoon’s end went quiet, the silence heavy. Keito felt dread slosh inside of him, and he got out a small

"I'm sorry." Shoon sighed.

"No, don't apologize, I mean...it's not all your fault...I'm just...it was really unexpected. I'd thought you were older."

"Are you mad?" Keito got out, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Well...yeah. A little. But not really mad at you. It's okay. I mean...mad isn't the right word. Don't worry about it." Keito didn't know what to say. He'd never heard Shoon sound like this.

"Do you want to stop?" He asked.

"Stop?" Shoon sounded confused, and a little scared.

"Sleeping together?" Keito felt himself becoming upset at the thought, but he kept his voice steady. "Being with me?"

"Keito, I'm not going to break up with you. Quit thinking that right now. I love you." Keito let out a shaky breath.

"I love you too."

"Look, I'm being stupid. It's your birthday, we should be celebrating. How about...you come over tonight. You never did on White Day, it's been a while anyway."

"Okay." Keito didn't know how'd they'd gotten to that point, but he figured it would be better to sort this out in person...if there was anything left to sort out. He was rather getting the feeling there wasn't.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." With that the connection was cut, and Keito snapped the phone shut, handing it to Yabu. Both Yabu and Yuto were staring at him.

"Keito...you and Shoon are...having sex?" Keito felt embarrassment crawl up his throat at the question, and he chose to ignore it, saying a quick

"Excuse me." And heading up the stairs to take a shower.

"Don't think you can get away with not answering me, Young Master!" Yuto yelled after him, and Keito heard Yabu say

"Young Master?" Questioningly, and he groaned a bit to himself. He took his shower, throwing on a button down shirt and a nice pair of jeans before heading out. He was nearly to the door when Hikaru stopped him with a shout.

"Where the hell're you going? It's time for dinner." His housemate was setting the table, and most of them had congregated in the living room and kitchen, helping to either get the meal on the table or lounging around in anticipation of being fed. Keito froze when Yuto answered for him.

"He's going over to Shoon's. They're going to celebrate his birthday together."

"What?" Hikaru looked over at Keito, obviously wanting the whole story.

"We'll tell you later Hika." Yabu said, shooing Keito towards the door. Hikaru's eyes caught Keito's own, searching him, concern shining through.

"You'll be back tonight, right?" He asked, and Keito began to feel a little guilty as he looked into Hikaru's eyes.

"I...I don't know." At that Takaki wolf-whistled and Yuto broke out in a perverted grin. Hikaru just blinked and turned away; and wanting nothing more than to escape, Keito waved at them in farewell and left. He sighed. His private romantic life wasn't so private any longer it seemed. He didn't really like how this was going, but he didn't think he could stop it. He pushed those thoughts from his mind. Tonight was just about him and Shoon.


	6. Chapter 6

Keito took the distance between their residences at a light jog, his bangs bouncing in his eyes, and as he climbed the stairs to Shoon’s apartment he felt anticipation buzzing in his chest. He took a quick moment to catch his breath before knocking on the door. It opened to reveal Shoon standing there in nothing but an old pair of ratty jeans that hung low on his hips and a black silk tie, tied professionally around his pale neck. His white chest, scarred impressively from his time with the Kumi, was muscled, arms strong, and though it was a sight Keito had seen before, it still struck something low in his stomach. Shoon looked up at him, his big doe eyes looking innocent for one moment, but when he opened his lips his tone was anything but.

"Come inside." Shoon pivoted, revealing his tattooed back, the huge image of the sun, rising over a small town still striking, and he turned back into his apartment. Keito stepped over the threshold, and he had barely gotten the door shut before Shoon had him up against the wall, lips on his throat, and Keito inhaled sharply in shock. Shoon pulled away for a bit, immediately checking Keito's face, his gaze sweeping over it, affection mixing with the passion he held there.

"Your bruises are looking a lot better."

"You...you're not mad?" Keito wrapped his arms around Shoon’s hips, letting himself slip some fingers into the waistband of his jeans, and when he wasn't met with the feeling of elastic, he realized with a jolt that Shoon _wasn't wearing any underwear. _Oh. He blushed a bit at the realization, and Shoon grinned mischievously when he realized what was going through Keito's head.

"No." He murmured, crashing their lips together, and Keito responded to the kiss at once, passion flowing between them as Shoon pressed him up against the wall, fingers flying over the buttons on his shirt. When Shoon broke the kiss Keito gulped for air, chest heaving, and Shoon ran his fingers across the three long scars on his torso. They were still bright pink against his pale skin, stark reminders of the last time he had nearly died. Shoon leaned down, kissing Keito's bare chest, and when he returned to his full stature Keito cupped his boyfriends face, leaning in to kiss him but stopping right before their lips connected, the words falling out of his mouth.

"I love you." Time froze, and for a second he thought Shoon was about to cry, but then the young lawyer's expression changed completely, and he grinned mischievously, pulling away from Keito, backing down the hall toward his bedroom door, and with a surprisingly immature giggle he said

"You will after this." Keito's mouth went dry, and he asked

"So...we're still sleeping together?" Shoon stopped his retreat, losing the flirty act and returning to his serious self for a moment.

"There's no point in stopping, besides, if I had known you were a minor before, our first time would have been tonight, so..." He paused, loosening his tie, and after a moment he said

"You coming?" Keito nodded, pulling his shirt from his shoulders and casting it aside in a wad before following Shoon to the bedroom.

His birthday celebration was...amazing. But after it had ended and they had gone to bed, despite how tired he was he couldn't fall asleep. He felt something nagging at the back of his throat. A weird, half conscious concern that, as he lay there half under Shoon’s bare chest, slowly brought itself to light. It had been the way Hikaru had looked at him, so frantic. He wasn't sitting up waiting for him, was he? Hikaru had almost always kept a close eye on him. He'd make sure he knew where Keito was nearly every day. Yuto figured it was because of the way that when any of them went missing they always turned up bloody and bruised, and since Keito was the newest he was considered the weakest link. Recently, Hikaru'd been more lax, but...

The mental image of Hikaru sitting up on the couch, staring at the clock, a small frown on his lips caused Keito to untangle himself from Shoon's sheets, the movement waking his boyfriend. Shoon had been laying on his stomach, hair in his eyes, his bare back muscled, his tattoo still impressive despite how dark it was. He shifted, and Keito immediately felt embarrassed.

"Sorry! Sorry, go back to sleep." He whispered, but Shoon blinked up at him.

"What're you doing? Come back to bed." He sounded confused, and he reached out for Keito, hand catching on his shoulder. Keito nearly did fall back into the mattress, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, but he forced himself to stand, searching out in the dark room for his clothes.

"I need to go back home." He told Shoon, and Shoon moaned a little in protest, but he sat up, and groggily said

"Alright you sexy beast, where did I fling your underwear?" Keito blinked over at him in surprise at the flirty phrasing, but then he realized that Shoon was literally still half asleep, and he wasn't actually paying attention to the words falling from his lips. He grinned, wrapping his arms around Shoon’s shoulders from behind, feeling the ridges of uneven and knotted skin where scars were, and he planted a kiss on his shoulder, murmuring

"I love you." Shoon stilled.

"God, I love you too." His words were tender. He took Keito's hand, giving it a tight squeeze, and after a quiet moment they got up, Shoon slipping on a pair of sweatpants, and together they found all of Keito's clothes in the dark. He stood just inside the front door buttoning up his shirt, and once he had finished Shoon wrapped his arms around him in a long, warm hug. In Shoon’s arms he always managed to feel safe, which was something that amazed him. Something that he cherished. Once they had broken apart he pulled open the door, stepping outside into the cool April night, and he leaned forward for a quick kiss, murmuring

"Goodbye, Shoon." Shoon nodded, and Keito turned to go, but Shoon lurched forward suddenly, as if remembering something.

"Oh, and Keito..." Keito stopped, turning to look at him. "Happy birthday." Keito smiled, nodded, and took off down the stairs, into the abandoned streets. He checked his watch in the light of the moon. It was nearly three in the morning. He was tired, body exhausted, the night breeze chilly through his shirt, and he was hoping that he was crazy, that when he got home he'd find Hikaru asleep in his own bedroom. His hopes were dashed however when he pushed open the front door to find Hikaru sprawled out on the couch, head leaning against the back at an awkward angle, asleep.

Playing cards littered the coffee table, and from the arrangement of the cards it looked like a bunch of them had sat up playing poker. He glanced back down at Hikaru. Should he wake him up, or let him sleep? While considering this question he leaned down, picking up all of the cards one by one. He was just reaching for the eight of spades when his foot caught on the coffee table and he fell to the floor with a thunk. He heard Hikaru bolt awake somewhere above him, his housemate muttering curses under his breath. Keito moaned a bit at the rug burn he felt from crashing his knees into the carpet, and he glanced up to see Hikaru pulling himself to his feet. When Hikaru caught sight of him he scrunched his face up, sighing.

"You woke me up." He complained.

"Sorry."

"What the hell were you doing?" Hikaru asked, pulling Keito to his feet. Keito showed him the stack of cards.

"Picking up."

"Go to bed, leave that for someone else." Hikaru ordered. Not really knowing what to do, and exhausted, Keito just nodded and together they went up the stairs. On the way up Hikaru bumped into him from behind, their bodies pressing together for a moment, and Hikaru grumbled a bit that Keito wasn't moving fast enough, but soon they were up the stairs. Once at the top Hikaru broke away from Keito, and much less gruffly than before he said

"Good night." Keito could have almost sworn he was smiling.

"Good night." Keito said back, wandering down the hall to his own room, climbing the ladder to his bed and falling asleep without even changing out of his clothes.

He woke to something hard and painful digging into his hip. Confused and not yet fully cognitive he rolled over, hand digging in his pocket. He pulled the thing out and examined it, blinking the sleep from his eyes. It was a large butterfly knife, the two sides closed by a red ribbon tied in a lopsided bow. There, on the pieces that opened up was an engraving._ Okamoto Keito —20_ one of them read. The other said _April 1, 2013._ It was beautiful. Where had it come from? As he slowly began to wake up properly he realized. Hikaru must have slipped it into his pocket late that night after he'd come home.

He rolled it between his fingers, feeling the weight of it. His first knife. He slipped off the bow, carefully pulling the pieces of the handle in opposite directions, revealing the blade. It was bigger than most of the knives he'd seen the others carry, omitting of course Yamada's katana and that overgrown blade Ryutaro sometimes carried—too short to be a sword and too long to be a pocket knife. It resembled Inoo's personal knife in design—Keito remembered seeing his housemate use a butterfly knife similar to this one in raids. Perhaps Inoo could teach him how to use it. It was sharp, the blade menacing looking, and after examining it and testing the weight—it was heavier than he'd expected—he slipped the latch back across the two halves of the handle, sealing the blade safely inside. Finally he got out of bed, taking a shower and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, slipping the knife in his pocket and heading downstairs for breakfast.

Upon arriving downstairs he found the five oldest crowded around the near side of the dinner table, talking seriously in low voices. At his appearance they all looked up from their work, surprised.

"Didn't expect to be seeing you." Takaki said, sounding thoroughly confused as to why Keito was at home instead of at Shoon's apartment wrapped around his boyfriend. Hikaru just frowned at the group, not even acknowledging Keito's presence and pointedly pulling the others attention back to their meeting. Keito just smiled at them and waved at the two others hanging out in the living room. Yuto and Yamada were sprawled out on the couch, a chessboard between them, but they paused in their game to offer him an explanation as to the plotting going on at the table.

"They're convinced the Wakaba're gonna attack soon. They're trying to come up with some sort of strategy or something." Yuto announced across the joined rooms, his words followed with a harsh snap.

"Shut up!" Chinen had just emerged from his office, and he was glaring at Yuto, eyes slightly bloodshot. Yuto was taken aback, but he nodded.

"Yes Kumi-cho, I'm sorry—"

"No just...don't talk. My head..." Chinen grumbled, and their littlest member buried his face in his hands, a small whining noise pitting itself in the back of his throat. When he lifted his head Keito noticed the dark circles carved out under his eyes, and the cringe waiting in the wings on his dry lips. He looked almost sick, his tiny frame pale and slow moving, but not wanting to imply that their leader was _weak_ in any way Keito didn't ask if he was okay or offer him anything and instead made for the fridge, digging around inside for the eggs. It was then that he noticed that his birthday champagne was no longer on the shelf he had placed it, or anywhere else for that matter, and as he straightened up and turned back into the room where Chinen was returning back to his office with his hands around a cup of coffee it all suddenly fell into place.

_Hungover. _Their Kumi-cho must have drunk Keito's birthday champagne. That was unusual. Chinen never drank ever—he'd never even shown an interest in alcohol. But had Chinen drunk alone? None of the others seemed to have any symptoms of a hangover, all talking quietly with each other; perfect pictures of health aside from the scars and fading bruises. Keito contemplated all of this as he made himself some eggs, eating them scorching hot straight out of the pan. Once he had finished his breakfast he tapped on Inoo's shoulder, pulling his attention away from whatever Daiki had been saying.

"Um, I was hoping you could teach me how to use this..." He pulled his knife from his pocket, and Inoo glanced down at it for a moment before nodding and waving Keito away with a quick

"Later." Nodding, Keito left them to their discussion, and joined Yamada and Yuto over on the couch, watching as slowly but surely Yamada destroyed Yuto's little fictitious army, eventually capturing his king for the victory. With a pout Yuto handed over 1,000 ¥, and they put the game away. Yamada tucked the money into his back pocket, snatching his katana from where it had been laying next to him on the couch and heading for the front door, talking as he went.

"Since I won you have to spar with me, yeah? You can come too Keito." Keito and Yuto shared a look before shrugging and following their friend out the door into the alley. Yamada tucked his actual sword into a corner, keeping his sheath and gripping it as if it were a katana, facing the two of them. After a moment he said

"Attack me." They both jumped at their housemate at the same time, and Yamada swung out with his makeshift blade, spinning to keep them a bay. The fight was long, lasting over an hour, and despite being smaller than both of them, as well as being out numbered, Yamada was probably winning, the extra reach his katana gave him perpetuated by his amazing mastery of his weapon of choice. Keito was starting to get tired, his limbs aching, but then Yamada whacked him on the thigh with his sheath, and ouch! A stinging wave of pain radiated from the area Yamada had struck, and Keito's wandering mind snapped back to focus, the pain bringing with it a rush of adrenaline, and when he felt a hand on his shoulder he pivoted, throwing a punch at his attacker. As he whipped around he realized in a split second that it was an unsuspecting Inoo he was defending himself against. Panic shot through him like a bullet, and he redirected his punch at the last second, barely missing Inoo's face, the muscles in his arm straining from the effort of trying to redirect the force he had put into the swing. Inoo didn't even blink, he just let his hand drop from Keito's shoulder, saying

"We finished the meeting. You wanted my help, yeah?" Keito's heart was still racing, and he gasped out

"Sorry—shit. Are you okay?" Inoo raised his eyebrows.

"Keito you didn't even hit me."

"I know but I _nearly_ did, and—" Inoo was grinning amusedly at him.

"Keito, I'm Daiki's best friend. I've been hit with unexpected friendly fire for years, and he's got less of a conscious than you do. Trust me; I can take whatever the hell you decide to send my way." Keito took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and he sighed, relief washing through him, relaxing his muscles. Inoo just shook his head in amusement.

"Damn."

"What?"

"You're still so...I dunno...soft. I don't get how you can be the Oyabun's son and still be such a fuckin' sweetheart." Keito didn't respond, just giving Inoo a little half smile. Inoo got serious.

"You wanted me to teach you something?" Keito nodded, pulling the knife from his pocket.

"I got this for my birthday, and I thought it was a lot like yours—I want to know how to use it properly." Inoo stretched out his hand for it and Keito passed it to him, Inoo taking it in his palm and examining it closely, fingers brushing over the engraving and the smooth metal of the double handles. He flipped the safety clasp off with his thumb, and with a flick of his wrist he spun the knife into the air, blade falling out and becoming exposed as it twisted, and Keito flinched and shied away, the knife spiraling through the empty air catching him by surprise and making him very nervous. Inoo however plucked it out of the air, and with a twist of his digits both parts of the handle were wrapped safely in the curl of his thin fingers, and he flipped one piece up, releasing it and with the sound of metal on metal it shut, and he slipped the clasp deftly over the handle pieces, shutting it and examining it again.

"This one’s a bit longer than the standard; heavier too. Most of these types have these holes cut out of them on the handle—" He dug into his pocket, getting out his own butterfly knife to show him as an example. Sure enough there were little circular holes carved out of the handle pieces. "—I think that's to make it lighter or something. I don't really know; but yours is solid, and it’s a lot heavier than mine. It's really nicely made though." He handed it back to Keito. "I think it's a custom job." Keito took his knife back, staring down at it in awe. Custom? He'd known Hikaru had gotten it engraved, but to have had it completely custom made...

"So what did you want to learn exactly?" Inoo asked.

"Um...how to use this without hurting myself or messing up the hinges or something. I dunno. Some tricks or whatever, I guess." Keito spoke train of thought, not really knowing what it was specifically that he wanted. Inoo grinned.

"Tricks?" He said, and with that he threw his knife up into the air, the blade and handle parts twisting and twirling around him in a deadly dance as with one flick of his wrist or twist of his fingertips whenever it came down would have the blade soaring through the air above them. He continued this for a minute or two, even catching it behind his back at one point, causing Keito to flinch, before with one last flick it was closed and safely restored to his clenched fist.

"So, there're some tricks for ya." Inoo said, giggling a little. Keito let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and he looked down at his knife, feeling all of a sudden very unworthy of the weapon.

"How about I learn to open and close it." He suggested. Inoo nodded, and they got to work; Inoo showed him how to flick his wrist, sending one part of the handle cartwheeling around his hand before wrapping his digits around the piece, locking it into place and exposing the blade. Keito and Inoo worked on it for hours, Inoo's patience wearing thin as Keito repeatedly failed, often cutting himself, the drying blood sticky, smeared all along the handle. The rest of their housemates had all wandered off, leaving the two of them alone in the alley, Keito repeatedly flicking his blade open and closed, pinching his fingers and fumbling the knife, even dropping it a few times to his great embarrassment. Eventually though, Keito managed it consistently, the parts of the knife whirring out like wings before he deftly snatched them up, ready. He grinned at his success, and Inoo nodded, pushing off from where he'd been leaning against the exterior wall.

"Good job. That's it for today, yeah?" Inoo said, and Keito nodded.

"Thank you so much Inoo." Inoo just responded with a nod to Keito's bloody hands and a quick

"Go clean yourself up." Keito followed Inoo back into the house, carefully cleaning all of the little cuts decorating his hands and washing the dried tacky blood from his knife, digging it out of the engraving and all of the little nooks and crannies, and checking the hinges before drying it off and returning it to his pocket, the weight of it against his thigh something he'd have to learn to get used to.


	7. Chapter 7

That night at dinner he found himself wincing, not only at the constant twinges of pain he found stinging his hand from all of the little cuts as he tried to eat, but also from embarrassment when Inoo mentioned their practice session, turning to Hikaru and announcing

"I don't know how you did it Hika. He's difficult to teach now; I can't imagine having to teach him the basics on how to fight. How did you manage not to kill him?" Hikaru glanced over at Keito, and Keito averted his eyes, not really wanting to hear the confirmation of his inadequacy.

"I never found him to be infuriating. He always worked his ass off, and he didn't complain." His tone was gruff, but Keito looked up in shock. He knew Hikaru had resented teaching him. Hikaru quickly dropped the subject, instead getting Takaki to tell them about some rich older woman he had swindled the night before. Keito was grateful for Hikaru's nice words, but after dinner as they sat together talking comfortably, he couldn't help but bring it up.

"You lied earlier." He mumbled once there was a pause in the conversation. "You used to hate having to train me." Hikaru frowned at him.

"I didn't know you very well then. I got over it once I realized just how determined you were to do well." He paused. "Inoo was being out of line. He's just impatient, he should be glad you're so damn hard working." Hikaru slung an arm across his shoulders, the action familiar and comforting. "Don't let what he said get to you. You'll figure it out, and then you'll be great, you little bastard." Keito nodded, forcing back a grin, embarrassed by Hikaru's nice words; and he looked down into his lap, fingertips tracing the bulge of the knife in his pocket, trying to come up with a proper, honest way to thank Hikaru—not only for his kind words, but also for his amazing birthday present, his faith, and support. Words were not an option, not one that would be acceptable really, so instead he just put on his very best smile and hoped Hikaru would understand.

The next few days passed putting in long hours practicing with his knife, hanging out with Yuto, playing guitar for his regular gigs, and going on the occasional date with his boyfriend. Shoon had been wanting to spend less and less time out and more time just laying around on a couch or in bed, his head in Keito's lap, or sitting side by side, hands intertwined, sharing kisses and talking quietly about nothing in particular. He was looking rather tired, and would often massage his temples, dismissing Keito's concerns with reassuring mumbles about work catching up with him. The sex was great, and Shoon never failed to make Keito feel loved, and afterward if they had the energy they would hop in the shower, and if they didn't they would just lay there tangled in Shoon’s sheets, wrapped around each other until they fell asleep.

Keito trained hard during his free time, sparring with Daiki and Ryutaro while still working with Inoo whenever he got the chance to improve his knife skills. To his relief, his range of ability with the knife was improving at a much faster pace than Inoo had been expecting. Hikaru told him it was due to his renewed dedication. Keito thought that Inoo had just set his standards very low. But he did practice all of his tricks every day, working hard to master the things Inoo showed him. Sometimes Hikaru and Yabu would help tutor him, working with him when Inoo was busy, and Keito was grateful for their knowledge. The newly cultivated set of skills came to be of use much sooner than Keito had anticipated.

It was thirteen days after Keito's birthday, and they were a sitting at the dinner table, talking amiably and joking around when the front door slammed open, and for a moment it seemed as if the world had frozen, Keito staring in shocked disbelief as Wakaba members burst through the open door. Ryutaro immediately flicked his pocket knife open, pivoting around and throwing it at the first person across the threshold. Hikaru too reacted immediately, cursing loudly and standing, rushing at the attackers. These combined actions seemed to break the moment of shock, and they all jumped from the table as what seemed to be a never ending wave of people spilled in. It was unreal how many were pouring through the door, more than Keito had ever seen, and he was stunned by the sheer numbers. Before he had even managed to get around the edge of the table he was overtaken, combat beginning instantaneously.

He was reaching for his knife when one of the Wakaba members bowled into him, knocking him to the ground, slamming his head against the wood of a chair seat as he fell, and once down he blindly reached up, grabbing at the enemy's clothes and yanking, tripping him, the other man falling on top of him with a yelp of surprise. His body landed hard, elbows and knees digging sharply into Keito's head and chest, as he jerked and flailed, trying to orient himself. Keito scrambled on top of him, switching their positions, the man shoving at his face and shoulders, but Keito was persistent, adrenaline rushing through his veins, and he managed to land a few punches on the unrecognized Wakaba guy before one well aimed push sent him sprawling off of him, and the guy scrambled on top of him and straddled his waist, raining punch after punch down on his face and torso. Each hit forced his neck to snap back against the tile floor, sending pain racking up his spine, yet through the shocks of each blow Keito managed to slip his knife out of his pocket, flicking it open and stabbing deeply into the guys left buttock, the first bit of flesh he came into contact with, causing him to scream at the surprise pain.

A heartbeat later another noise broke through the muffled curses and the sound of bone hitting bone, and bodies ramming into furniture. It was the terror inducing sound of a gunshot. Then another, and another, the beat sporadic, and Keito tried to get up to find the source, but the Wakaba guy still hadn't given up, his bleeding ass only seeming to make him all the more determined, and he lunged forward, wrapping his hands around Keito's neck, squeezing. His fingers were like metal clamps digging into his throat, and it was only made worse by his attempts to breathe, the action sending stabs of pain like that of a burning hot knife into his neck. Desperately Keito pulled his blade from the flesh of the man’s backside, the thick handle slipping from his fingertips and clattering to the floor, and he reached for the fingers around his own neck, tugging desperately as his vision became spotty, his head growing light, blood rushing in his ears.

He was saved by a sharp roundhouse kick aimed at the Wakaba guys head, knocking him clear off of Keito, smearing blood in a trail behind him. He was unconscious nearly instantly. Yuto pulled Keito to his feet, and Keito scrambled for his knife, taking big gulping breaths, his heart racing, hands shaking, and he barely had a millisecond to register how close he had been to dying before another attacker loomed in front of them. Between himself and Yuto the guy didn't last long, and Keito had to ask

"Who fired the shot?!" He felt nauseous at the thought. They didn't usually carry guns on their person. Chinen did, and so did Hikaru sometimes. Daiki had a gun, he knew that, but they didn't use them for this type of attack. That meant it was probably the enemy doing the firing, which therefore implied that one of his housemates, one of his family members, had been shot at, possibly injured or dead. Yuto gazed out over the room.

"I can't tell, to many damn bodies!"

"Where the hell did they all come from?! I don't remember this many before, ever!" Yuto aimed another well placed kick at some poor bastards head. His companion had torn his shirt, fingernail marks down his chest like claws causing real blood to mingle with his tattoo, and was sporting a dripping split lip, bruises already forming.

"I don't know! I think they've been recruiting a lot recently, but still, some of these guys—" He paused in his sentence to trip one of them, causing him to crash to the tile, and Keito stomped on his head, hearing the jaw dislocate as his foot connected. "—they're fucking idiots. It's like they have no training at all." Despite their obvious lack of skill, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and as the fight dragged on for almost an hour Keito began to feel desperate. There seemed to be no end to the enemy's numbers. They just had ten, and they simply weren't prepared for an attack of this size.

He spotted a gun; the one he assumed had gone off, discarded on the floor, being kicked around by the people fighting. It wasn't a make that they used, this one too small, and it only confirmed that the shooter had been aiming at one of them. But there was no indication of anyone having been shot. He caught glimpses of Hikaru on the stairwell, fighting one from above and two from below. Ryutaro and Inoo were back to back, ducking and punching, Inoo's knife whirring through the air like a small dangerous bird. He could barely see anything properly in the living room, but as he looked at his companions faces he realized that they were losing. They were thoroughly overwhelmed, and as he tackled Miura Shohei to the ground he began to lose the sense that they were going to come out of this one okay.

Suddenly, as if in response to Keito's negative thoughts, there was commotion by the front door, and to his amazement Shintaro, Ryu's little brother, was there. He was bigger than the first time Keito had seen him, he too having grown exponentially in the past few months, just like Ryu. He was leading a pack of five or six others, most of which he only vaguely recognized as some of their underlings, all of them probably high school age. They didn't even blink, charging into the group of enemies with fierce yells of indignation, and they immediately were swallowed up by the fighting.

Seconds later, another familiar form crossed their threshold; Shoon announced his presence by knocking one man to the floor without throwing a single fist, his jab to the back of the neck sending him crumpling at the young lawyer's feet, and Keito had never been so relieved and anxious at the arrival of anyone in his life. Relieved because he knew that with Shoon's help their chances of driving the enemy out were much greater, but anxious because he knew that being here put his boyfriend, the man he loved, in harm’s way, and there was always the sickening chance that something terrible could happen to him.

"Shoon!" He yelled, turning swiftly and elbowing his opponent in the face, kicking the guy's legs out from under him and leaving him to get trampled on the floor. Shoon was already fighting some tall guy with a knife, the man swinging the blade out in a wide arc at the smaller lawyer. Shoon ducked under his arm, punching straight up, fist connecting with the guy’s lower jaw, snapping his head back and making him stumble. Keito watched, trying to make his way over, as Shoon took hold of the guys wrist, twisting it to an impossible angle, the knife falling to the floor, until the man screamed, before kicking him in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Keito yelled for him again, and this time Shoon heard, turning to look his way.

"Keito!" He was breathing heavy, eyes wide and slightly frantic as Keito made his way over to the door where Shoon had been standing. Immediately Shoon grabbed his shoulder, jerking him out of the way, slipping behind the open door with a quick

"Let's move." He was staring out at the fighting, assessing the situation. Keito stood out in front of the door, trying to keep him hidden. "They're thinning out. They'll be gone in the next five minutes." Shoon announced. As if in affirmation to his words Keito watched as one of the Wakaba guys scooped up an unconscious comrade and slipped out the door. Keito was shaking, still hyped up on adrenaline and still afraid for Shoon, and he was just so ready for this to be over.

"These bastards just—" His crude exclamation of frustration was cut off by a slightly panicky yell.

"Kumi-cho?!" Ryutaro's voice was loud, and he slashed out with his knife, slicing through his opponents collar bones. Keito automatically did a sweep of the room, searching for Chinen. The opponent’s numbers had gone down significantly, and he managed to spot...one, two, three, four...No. Just four? He restarted. Takaki, Ryutaro, Hikaru, Yabu....where the hell was everyone else?! He mindlessly threw himself back into the fight, and within the minute he found four of them. Inoo and Yuto were both on the floor, hidden behind the couch with Daiki and Yamada, the smaller two covered in blood and unmoving. Crap. Yamada's sword was on the ground a few feet away, next to the door to Chinen's office.

"Hold on." Keito said, turning back into the fray, a new fear gripping him, binding his chest. Daiki and Yamada needed help. They obviously must have been targeted by the Wakaba, blaming them and wanting revenge for Kamiki's death. Luckily, there were only a few left fighting, and with the help of Shintaro's group they were gone in minutes. Then, as quickly as they had come they left, Shin giving them a quick smile and wave, and taking his boys back out into the night. Immediately Inoo yelled for help, and Keito went to the door, checking out in the night and finding it empty, as Yabu and Inoo got to work lifting Daiki's limp, heavy body.

Hikaru began doing a head count, as Ryutaro yelled out

"Kumi-cho?!" There was a pause, as they all looked about wildly for their little leader. Ryutaro was getting more frantic with each passing moment. He had a long gash down one of his legs, and despite it he began pacing, yelling out "KUMI-CHO?!" Ryutaro was walking hastily through all of the rooms, the kitchen, and living room, throwing glances up the stairs. Hikaru shook his head.

"He never went up there."

"What about the office?" Shoon offered, and Ryutaro and Takaki both lunged to the door handle, pushing it open, and Keito turned around in time to see his housemates' eyes widen in shock, Takaki freezing in the doorway as Ryu muttered a stunned

_"Fuck—NO!"_ He threw himself into the room, and they all scrambled after him, piling up in a conglomeration of broken bodies in the doorway. None of them however, were anywhere near was broken as Chinen looked.


	8. Chapter 8

There were two new little round holes in the wall above their leader, about eye level, each about two centimeters in diameter—bullet holes. There, crumpled in the middle on the floor, splayed out on his back, was Chinen. One of his arms jutted out at an unnatural angle, and the blue shirt he had been wearing was torn in two places, one rip right in the middle of his chest, a slash, blood already beginning to congeal in and around the wound, catching on the rough edges of the fabric and gluing the strings into the open flesh, pooling in the dip where his ribs met, staining his shirt a brownish color. The other rip was small and round, up in his right shoulder. Blood was oozing from the wound, wet and messy on the carpet.

The worst part however, was Chinen’s face. His jaw and eye sockets were swollen shut, red and angry looking, disfiguring his appearance almost beyond recognition. He was eerily still, and Keito felt the bile rising in his throat, the disbelief and the horror unlike any he had ever felt before, and he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away as Ryutaro knelt down next to Chinen's little body, desperately searching for signs of life.

"YURI! Yuri, c'mon now—shit, _SHIT_—you can't do this. You can't do this to me. C'mon Yuri...if you love me, if you _ever_ lo—._..FUCK..."_ Ryutaro was visibly trembling, on his knees, tears already rolling down his cheeks and off the tip of his nose as he bent over Chinen, one hand desperately pressed up against his neck, searching for a pulse, the other gingerly brushing flyaway hairs from Chinen's face, and the look in his eyes was so intense, so terrified and full of grief that for a few moments none of them spoke or moved, just standing there, watching like fools as he leaned forward, planting a kiss on Chinen's swollen lips, and continuing with his frantic words. "...be okay, Yuri. I can't—you can't—_shit!_ You fuckin' miracle! You can't die on me now! You—you..."

Shoon pulled his phone from his pocket, hitting a few buttons and putting it up to his ear, his voice was shaky, but he was brusque, immediately saying

"Yamashita. I have an emergency. No, not that. Nineteen year old boy shot in the shoulder. Left shoulder...I don't know. Before I arrived. No. No. No. Um...AB. Yes. Yes. Now. Ten minutes. Okay." While he was speaking, Hikaru and Yabu both burst into action. Hikaru went over to Chinen, checking his pulse and then putting his hands over the bullet wound in his shoulder, pressing down, trying to slow the bleeding. Yabu got to work giving orders.

"Inoo, Yuto, you two and I will take care of Yamada and Daiki. Takaki, Keito, you're at Hikaru's disposal." Shoon hung up and Keito looked over at him for an explanation.

"That was my doctor. I'm going down to get a blood transfusion for Chinen. Try and get him to the table, he said we can move Chii as long as he doesn't bleed too badly. Try and patch him up, it's going to be okay. I'll be back soon." In the end it was a solution. A_ real, proper_ solution. Shoon's words gave Keito hope, and there were now logical steps to take, and jobs to do. He turned back to Hikaru, ready to do anything, as Shoon ran out the door. Hikaru looked up at him as Keito entered the room and stood next to him, offering himself up for use. He was having a hard time actually looking at Chinen, the damage surreal and grotesque. Hikaru's hands were covered in blood, as he applied pressure to the wound. He immediately said

"Take off your shirt and fold it up. We need a compress. There's not a good way to get a tourniquet on it at this spot." Keito nodded, shrugging his tee shirt off and folding it frantically, the end result lumpy and uneven, with too many little flaps sticking out. As he did Hikaru's fingers wiggled a bit, searching the wound, and he said "The bullet's still in here." Keito stared down at Hikaru's bloody hands, surprised. What did that mean? As if reading Keito's mind, Hikaru announced

"It's good. That means there's no exit wound to worry about. There's a lot less chance of him bleeding out than I was anticipating. Fucking gunshot wounds, always a pain in the ass. He's damn lucky he got hit where he did." As Hikaru said all of this he took Keito's shirt from him, removing it from his hands and pressing it against the wound, blood immediately beginning to seep through the fabric. "You got your knife?" Hikaru asked, tearing his eyes from Chinen's shoulder for only a moment, and Keito nodded, keeping his mouth shut. "Good. We need to remove his clothes and see the rest of the damage." He turned fiercely to where Takaki was still standing in the doorway.

"Help." Takaki's eyes swept over Hikaru, hands covered in blood, his glare piercing; Keito, who was digging through his pocket for his knife; and Ryutaro, who was cradling Chinen's head in his hands, his whole body quivering as he cried. Finally, Takaki squared his shoulders and joined them inside the office, crouching down on the carpeted floor next to Keito and—with shaking hands—pulled a small knife from his own pocket, and together they began tearing through Chinen's soiled clothes with their blades, the fabric rough and resistant, warping and stretching before ripping, and once his shirt was mostly off—the only bit left the scrap Hikaru had caught under his fingers as he tried to slow he bleeding—they leaned back, balancing on their toes and knees to get a good look at the damage.

Thankfully, they didn't uncover any new external wounds. He was bruised, but aside from that there were no new horrors. Hikaru too took in the damage. Ryutaro had fallen silent, his tears had stopped, and he was sitting on the floor, Chinen's head repositioned to rest on his thighs, his right hand clutching tightly around Chinen's own. Hikaru's eyes caught on their intertwined fingers, and he whipped his head around, mouth spewing orders once more.

"Takaki, go and clear the table of anything left from dinner, and prepare lots of ice for him." He nodded down at Chinen. Takaki immediately left the room as Hikaru announced to Keito "You need to take this over." If it was possible, Keito's stress level spiked even higher.

"I can't—"

"Yes you fucking can. I need to pop his other shoulder back into place, he's dislocated it. I'll teach you how to do that some other time. Right now I need you to put pressure on his bullet wound, and to not panic. Can you do that for me?" Keito swallowed the wash of tense fear that had balled up in his throat, and he nodded. Hikaru give him the tiniest of smiles.

"I knew I could count on your charitable ass. Now switch places with me." Keito silently did as he was told, and to his relief the blood flow seemed to have minimized tremendously; not to say that his hands weren't completely covered in blood, but it seemed to be less than Hikaru's hands, which had been bathed in Chinen's blood, his fingers slippery with it as he tried to get a good grip on Chinen's other shoulder, eventually wiping them on his shirt. He gripped Chinen's arm, bracing himself before ramming it in with one swift movement. The shoulder went back into place with a loud crack, and Keito winced at the noise. Chinen's eyes flew open, and a gut wrenching screech fell from his lips, his chest heaving rapidly as he snapped back to consciousness. Hikaru sighed, and Keito began to panic as the blood began seeping from Chinen's wound at a much faster rate.

"Calm him down!" He barked, and Ryutaro cradled Chinen's head in his arms, murmuring to him.

"Yuri, look at me. Look at me. You've been shot—"

"I know." Chinen snarled, but tears were welling up in his eyes, compromising the sharp, tough guy attitude.

"You're going to be okay. We just need you to calm down. Take a deep breath." He paused, and Chinen's eyes darted downward, trying to get a look at his shoulder. "No, look at me. Don't worry about that, Hikaru and Keito are going to fix that. You just look at me." Ryu's tone was so passionate that Keito felt himself blushing, and when Ryu leaned in to press a kiss to Chinen's lips he found himself looking away. For another minute or so Ryutaro spoke to Chinen, and Chinen's pulse slowed, back to where it had been before.

"We need to move him." Hikaru's voice was void of any emotion, stating the fact bluntly. There was a pause, all of them wondering just how they were going to get him all the way to the kitchen, but soon they had him suspended between the three of them, on his own two feet, and they shuffled in one big mass, past where Yabu had set up a makeshift nursing station in the living room, Daiki and Yamada spread out on the couch and love seat, Yuto and Inoo diligently stitching, cleaning, and wrapping wounds with Yabu's instruction. It seemed to take too long to get to the table, and Chinen began sweating, panting from the effort, his little chest heaving, and he murmured

"Cracked my ribs." Hikaru let a frown settle on his face as he helped their little leader onto the table, Ryutaro taking him from Hikaru's hands. It seemed that any thought of keeping his relationship a secret had long vaporized, and as Hikaru yelled for peroxide he took Chinen's hand in his own again, lacing their fingers together. He froze, examining the little digits before announcing

"He's going into shock."

"I know dammit!" Hikaru growled, as Yabu threw him a black plastic bottle. He caught it deftly, yelling for Keito to fill up a bottle with water, before vocally wondering where the hell Shoon was. Keito felt the nagging dread rising in his stomach that Chinen simply wasn't going to make it, and he had to fight to keep moving. It was a few minutes later when Shoon finally returned, bursting through the door with a cardboard box in his arms. Keito and Hikaru had been flushing out the bullet wound, Takaki flitting around them, bandaging Chinen's chest, but as soon as Shoon arrived Hikaru left it to Keito, and Keito glanced up to see Shoon pulling a small cooler, and then a bag of blood and IV kit out of the cooler, and relief washed over him. Chinen's breathing had gotten shallow, his breaths rapid, and he was shivering, his eyes clenched shut as his whole body trembled. He had lost too much blood, and they couldn't get the needle in his arm fast enough.

Shoon put the IV set together, Hikaru pushing the needle into Chinen's tiny muscular arm, Takaki waiting in the wings, immediately taping it in place with duct tape. Hikaru handed the bag of blood to Takaki, who took a post holding it up over Chinen so that it would drain properly. Hikaru rejoined Keito at the entrance point, and once he declared it clean he and Keito wrapped it, and Keito had to ask

"We don't take the bullet out?" Hikaru grimaced.

"No." He pursed his lips. "He's bled enough already." Shoon cleaned and dressed Chinen's other, more minor wounds. He reached back into the box he'd brought, and yelled

"Catch." He tossed a small syringe over to Ryu, who caught it deftly with one hand, examining the label on the side. "Follow the directions. That medication is really strong. It's to help his heart get the new blood though his system. It's called Dobutamine."

Finally, after the rush they all just stilled, silently looking Chinen over, having done all that they could do. Chinen himself was quiet, not quite awake as he lay halfway in Ryutaro's lap, his chest rising and falling. Just that little involuntary action rang of their success, a small sense of victory washing over Keito. He was alive! They had done it. Takaki and Ryutaro slowly, carefully, took Chinen to his bed, and Keito's attention finally shifted to the rest of them. His eyes caught on Hikaru. While only minutes before he had been calm, steady, and in charge of the situation, now he was trembling, obviously shaken from the whole ordeal. Yabu stood from where he had perched on the arm of the couch, tears silently streaming down his cheeks, and wrapped Hikaru in a hug, shielding his face from view, as Hikaru went limp in his arms. Confused and feeling like this was a private moment, Keito turned away, to where Daiki and Yamada were lying on the couches.

Daiki and Yamada were both bandaged messes, but Inoo flashed him a thumbs up, and it was clear they would be fine. As the adrenaline wore off Keito began to feel his own injuries. His throat hurt where the Wakaba guy had strangled him, his shoulders aching from where they had slammed into the floor, and he knew he was going to be very bruised if he wasn't already turning black and blue. He felt a strong pair of arms wrap around him from behind, and Shoon pulled him to his chest, his scent calming, and Keito leaned into the embrace as Shoon placed a gentle kiss on his ear.

"You okay?" Shoon murmured, and he nodded.

"How'd you know to come?" He asked, relishing the feeling of being held for a moment before pulling away.

"Yabu called me when they came. He's got me on speed dial. I think he dropped his phone, but it didn't take long for me to figure out what was going on." Shoon explained. He ran his hands over Keito's face tenderly, inspecting it for damage, and he paused when he was at Keito's jawline, frowning and gently tipping his chin up. Keito internally grimaced. He must have bruises. "That looks nasty." Shoon announced.

"We need to patch everyone else up." He responded, Shoon nodded in agreement as Keito caught a glimpse of Hikaru and Yabu as they left the room, heading right up the stairs. Hopefully they'd be okay soon. Luckily, Inoo and Yuto only had a few small cuts and scratches. They gave Yuto some ice for his split lip, and both of them were set. Together they all carried Daiki and Yamada up the stairs to their room, placing them on their bed next to each other, and Inoo and Yuto volunteered to stay with them. Keito couldn't help but ask

"What happened? Did you see?" Yuto nodded.

"It was Shidai. She was ruthless—she blamed Yama-chan and Daiki for Kamiki's death. She made it out like they were terrible cold blooded monsters for snapping that sick, twisted son of a bitch's neck. The way she was talking it was like she had fallen in love with the crazy bastard! She and Haruma took Yamada on. Once they managed to get his sword from him he went down, and then when Daiki saw he tried to protect Yamada, but..." He sighed. "Shidai got Yamada's sword from the floor, she slashed him up pretty good." Yuto sighed, looking down at the two on the bed.

"Hey, what's going on with the Kumi-cho and Ryu? The way Ryutaro was acting made it seem like..." He trailed off, but Keito understood. He nodded, and Yuto gasped. "No! They're together?! For how long?"

"I don't know. I just walked in on them once. It was a while back." Keito told him. Yuto shook his head in disbelief, and Keito excused himself, returning back downstairs.

While he was up in Yamada and Daiki's bedroom talking with Yuto, Yabu and Hikaru must have returned back down to the bottom floor because when he came down Hikaru was sitting on the kitchen table while Yabu silently tended to some long gashes he had down his back, his hands folded in his lap. Shoon meanwhile had taken to scrubbing the dried and drying blood from the rest of the table, and he was bent over the wooden surface with a sponge, having discarded his jacket and button down in a chair, leaving him in a white tank top, the design of his tattoo seeping through the sheer fabric. When Keito came down the stairs they all acknowledged his presence with glances, and Hikaru asked

"Have Takaki and Ryutaro been patched up yet?" Oh yeah. That's right, they probably needed some sort of medical attention. He'd forgotten in the rush of everything else. He shook his head, and wordlessly Yabu gestured to the door leading to the Kumi-cho's office. Cautiously, Keito entered. He knew that the door at the other end of the room had to lead to a bedroom where Chinen slept, but he'd never even considered going in before. He crossed the room, gripping the doorknob and finding it dented. As quietly as possible he turned it, pushing the door open.


	9. Chapter 9

Chinen was on a bed, one about the same size as the one Daiki and Yamada shared, and both Takaki and Ryutaro were hovering over him. Takaki was standing, no longer holding the pouch of blood; it had been hung on an empty nail by the wall. Ryutaro was curled up on the bed next to Chinen, one arm under his head, the other resting on the sheets between them as he held their leader's tiny hand in his own much larger one. Keito looked around the room. This was once Shoon's bedroom. He could tell, the furniture had Shoon's tastes in them, and the pieces all looked as though they hadn't been moved in the decade or so that they had resided there. There were few pictures on the walls; one that looked as if it were of Chinen's family from before the Kumi, but there on the nightstand was one of Ryutaro. There were some of Ryu and Chinen together, back when they were small, and they continued throughout the years, the two boys notably growing as they progressed. It made Keito wonder just how long the two of them had been together.

His presence caused Ryutaro to shift, and at the movement Chinen's grip on his hand tightened, and he froze. Takaki too looked up, and Keito told them

"We need to take care of your injuries." Almost at once they both declared themselves fine, but Keito knew that was a lie. Takaki's jaw had swollen tremendously, and he had one hand on his abdomen. Ryutaro meanwhile was sporting a very bloody, deeply cut left leg, which was thrust out away from the rest of his body on the bed. He frowned. They were both his superiors, he had no right to disagree with them, but they needed to get cleaned up. Especially Ryu. Suddenly, Hikaru's voice drifted through the door.

"Ryutaro! Get your ass in here; I have to talk with you!" Ryu grimaced at the exclamation, but he stood up, giving Chinen's hand a quick squeeze before pulling away. Keito couldn't help but notice the glare Takaki threw Ryu's way as he walked out, their older housemate taking up a post closer to Chinen's bed as Keito and Ryu left.

Hikaru was on his feet, his back bandaged, and he gestured for Ryutaro to sit in a chair he had waiting. Wordlessly Ryu did, limping over and settling in, stretching his injured leg out to rest on another nearby chair as Yabu crouched down, gently rolling his pant leg up, revealing a deep gash up the front, jagged and crusted over in dried blood, the surrounding flesh red and inflamed. It looked nasty, and Keito tried to wipe the grimace from his face. Yabu got to work cleaning the wound, and as he did Hikaru sent a stony glare down at Ryu, and he said

"What the hell was that earlier?" Ryu returned the look, but then he sighed, slumping in his chair, all of the fight leaving him.

"Yuri and I have been together for..." He paused, frowning a bit as he thought. "...a long while now. Look, you can punish me or whatever the fuck, but not now." His voice started strong and forceful, but as he reached the end of his sentence it shifted, and he was begging, his shoulders hunching in defeat. "Right now I just want to be with the person I love. Yuri needs me, and I'm going to help him. Once he's well I'll do whatever—and accept whatever—shit you throw at me, but until then..." He looked up into Hikaru's face. "...until then can you just let us be?" Hikaru seemed taken aback by Ryutaro's words, but after a moment he nodded.

"Alright. As soon as he's well enough to get out of bed we will discuss this. Until then...do whatever the fuck you want." Ryutaro nodded respectfully and stood as Yabu tied up the last stitch holding the gash together, Yabu requesting that he send Takaki out to get himself all patched up. Hikaru sighed, staring stonily at the wall for a moment, eyes slightly out of focus, as if he was looking through the wall instead of at it. With a sigh he turned his back on them, returning back up the stairs, and Keito felt worry for his housemate flare in his stomach.

Shoon made his way around the table, a bag of ice in his hand, and he gestured to the couch.

"This is for your neck." He said, holding up the bag, and they situated themselves on the cushions, Keito's head in Shoon's lap, the bag of ice a shock as its piercing cold plastic body was rested on his throat. Once situated he looked Shoon over, relieved to see that once again, somehow, he looked unharmed. In the background there were the sounds of Yabu and Takaki shuffling around the kitchen, and Shoon sighed, looking down at Keito's face. "This was a close one." He murmured. "Too close."

Keito didn't know how to respond. It _had_ been the worst he could remember. They were more gravely injured as a group than he remembered from any of their previous fights. He himself had gotten lucky, not really running into any of the strongest fighters. And yet...

"We're all okay though." He said, and it was harder to speak, the ice numbing his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Shoon frowned.

"You have a black and blue handprint on your throat. Three of them nearly died. Keito, that's not what being okay is."

"Yes." Keito understood what Shoon was saying, but still, he had a point to make as well. They had succeeded. "But we are all alive, and we will heal." Shoon lapsed into silence, obviously thinking about the evenings events, and after a minute or two of silence on his end he suddenly said

"What do you think about me ...quitting work?" Keito was completely taken by surprise by the question. Shoon quit his job? What?! Why?

"Where's this coming from?" Shoon sighed a little, stilling and running his fingers through Keito's hair.

"I've been thinking about it recently. I could be here, and be with you more. And besides...I don't really want to waste my life sitting in my office when it's not where I want to be. It's not as if I have any moral or emotional attachments to my job. And besides, now that three of us are stuck in bed, you guys are going to need some extra hands around here anyway." He paused, giving Keito a meaningful glance. "I want to be with you."

Keito frowned a little, thinking about what Shoon was saying. While yes, every excuse he presented was legitimate, they were simply that—excuses. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend more time with his boyfriend, but it wasn't like Shoon to be like this.

He always had a solid reason for his actions, usually they were tied to his emotions, sure, and if he simply didn't _enjoy_ his job, then...but still he always backed his decisions up with logic, and Keito was struggling to find the logic in this argument. What purpose would quitting his lawyer job serve? Shoon never once had complained about his job, in fact he had exclaimed that he was lucky he had such a good job, noting that despite living at the hospital for so long at such a young age he had managed to pay his bills completely. As for helping out around the house? They could manage fine without him honestly.

"Why do you feel like you need to quit?" Keito asked, not convinced. Shoon looked down at him blankly for a moment, before saying

"Look—have you ever known me to do anything that wasn't because I love you? And you love me too, so Keito...can you just trust my decision on this one?" He looked so frustrated as the words left his lips that Keito didn't protest. Keito decided that whatever Shoon wanted in the end truly was all that mattered, so he nodded.

"Whatever you want, as long as you're happy." His voice was coming out weak and throaty from the cold of the ice, and Shoon didn't smile at Keito's acceptance, simply nodding and carding his fingers through Keito's hair, massaging his scalp. Shoon's hands were skilled, and he smelled good, like honey and dew, and Keito was drifting off to sleep, just as there was a harsh cracking noise coming from the kitchen. Keito bolted up from his hazy half conscious state, the now nearly completely melted bag of ice sloshing as it fell to the floor, and he looked with wide eyes in the direction of the noise.

He sat up just in time to see Takaki slug Yabu in the shoulder. Yabu glared at him, spitting out

"What the fucking hell, you son of a bitch?!" Takaki was holding his punching arm close to his body, a soft whining coming from his throat, and he barely managed to voice out

"That_ hurt_ you bastard!" Yabu rolled his eyes.

"Shut the hell up, you do _not_ have it bad tonight, dumbass." Shoon remained quiet, observing as Keito watched the exchange, gently tugging him back down, situating Keito back in his lap, but the spell had been broken, and Keito leaned down to pick the wet plastic bag from the floor, puling himself to his feet.

"I should go to bed." Shoon looked up from where he was still seated on the couch, patting his thigh gently, offering it up, giving Keito a wide eyed, sad glance that had Keito swooping back in and locking their lips together in a kiss, and it took Shoon by surprise for a moment, but he kissed back, Keito propping himself up with one knee digging into the couch cushions, his hands cradling the back of Shoon’s head, fingers buried in his long black hair as he kissed him, and when they broke apart he said

"Good night." His voice was lower and more rough and quiet than usual, his throat still swelling where the Wakaba bastard had throttled him, and the phrase came out warped. Shoon nodded, and Keito stood, his goodbye said, and he returned to the kitchen to empty his bag of ice. Takaki and Yabu were staring at him, and he blushed. Takaki couldn't help but comment.

"Damn, someone's getting some." Keito felt himself flush deeper, and Yabu whacked Takaki on the top of his head, causing Takaki to glare at him again.

"Dude, go the fuck to bed." Yabu groaned.

"Dude, you're not my damn mother." Takaki grumbled. Yabu sighed dramatically.

"I'm too tired to deal with anyone's shit right now. _I'm _going to bed. Good night you brats." He turned to look at Shoon, saying "Good night Kumi-cho." His words were careless, and an awkward air filled the room. Despite Shoon not actually having been the Kumi-cho for over six years this would still happen occasionally. It was always weird for everyone, but Keito assumed that old habits die hard. Yabu, realizing his mistake, groaned, hiding his face in his hands, and Shoon smiled kindly at him.

"It's okay Yabucchi." Shoon said, standing, and Keito took the moment to slip upstairs, heading straight for the bathroom, hoping to see for himself what his injuries looked like before he finally called it a night. Once reaching the bathroom door however he ran into Hikaru, and his thoughts diverted from his own well being at once. Hikaru still looked shaken, his face disposed of emotion but his stance one of someone still upset, his shoulders slightly hunched, whole body tense, his eyes radiating something like grief, and it shook Keito to see. He found himself rather afraid of Hikaru, and he froze as his housemate brushed past, not meeting Keito's eye, his bandaged back seeming to stare blankly at him from the dark hallway as Hikaru returned to his own bedroom.

Keito's neck was forming dark purple bruises, and to his amazement you could make out the shape of each of the man's fingers, his palm, and thumb all preserved in the discoloration of his flesh. He examined it with mild curiosity, fingers gently tracing over his throat, and the swelling didn't actually feel all that bad, apart from right along his jaw line where his attacker had gripped him the tightest. He let his fingers drop from his neck, quickly doing his bedtime ritual, as he did his thoughts wandering back over everything that had happened in the last hour or two; the raid, the fight for Chinen's life, Daiki and Yamada's battered forms, Ryutaro's accidental revealing of his relationship, Hikaru's apparent breakdown, and Shoon's declaration about quitting his job all weighing on his mind. He sighed. Life had managed to go from moderately peaceful to intensely complicated in the spans of a few short hours.

He pulled open the bathroom door and was shocked to find Hikaru standing just outside of it, obviously waiting for him, and he stood in the doorway, waiting for Hikaru to speak.

"How's the Kumi-cho?" Hikaru's voice was riddled with fear and concern, as if he expected Keito to have announced that despite everything they had done, Chinen had died.

"He's stable. Ryutaro's sitting up with him." He paused, on edge, before gritting his teeth and asking "Hikaru, what's going on? Are you okay?" Hikaru stared at him for a moment, before murmuring

"No...I'm not_ okay."_ In silence they both made their way down the hall to Hikaru's bedroom, Hikaru shutting the door once they were inside, Keito seating himself on the edge of Hikaru's bed, waiting patiently for Hikaru to speak.

"I was so afraid..." Hikaru wasn't looking at him, instead he sat down next to Keito on his bed, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, hands falling next to each other in the space between his knees, head bowed so Keito couldn't see his face. "The last time someone got shot...I couldn't save them." Keito froze. Taiyo? He hadn't ever asked how Taiyo had died, never thinking that it was an appropriate topic. He swallowed nervously, trying to find the right words to say. Hikaru however, wasn't finished.

"When Taiyo was shot he was right next to me and no matter what I did...he just didn't get any better." He took a shaky breath, and tipped his head back, his dyed hair falling back from his head, his adams apple thrust out from the line of his neck, and he sighed.

"But this time—this time everything will work out fine. Kumi-cho's going to get better. We're all okay." Keito was at a loss, not really being selective about the words coming out of his mouth, feeling that they were stupid but hoping that somehow they would do the trick and make Hikaru feel better despite that. Hikaru nodded, finally looking Keito's way, their eyes locking, and a small half smile graced his lips.

"Yeah, I know." He pulled himself completely up onto his bed, announcing "I'll be fine in the morning. I'm just being a fucking bitch about this is all." Keito frowned a bit at that. Hikaru was a lot of things, but 'fucking bitch' wasn't one of them. Hikaru sprawled himself out on his stomach, his bandages already staining red, giving away the blood seeping through, his calves pressed up against the small of Keito's back. "Are you staying?" He said it gruffly, but Keito wasn't fooled. Hikaru was offering, and only offered if he wanted something. Keito sighed, mentally exhausted from the evening. He didn't want to deal with his own thoughts and problems. Wordlessly he crawled up into the bed, flopping down next to Hikaru, and within moments he was asleep, what felt like he longest day of his life finally, blissfully over.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days were spent very quietly. Daiki and Yamada remained unconscious. Keito never saw the Kumi-cho; Ryutaro was glued to Chinen's bedside, and he didn't leave his room except for meals. Yuto, Keito, and Inoo all took turns spending time in Daiki and Yamada's bedroom, just in case they woke. Shoon called often, but he did not come to visit, and Hikaru fell into the position of their acting leader, taking over Chinen's responsibilities, and generally looking out for everyone as best he could. He was actually doing a very good job, considering everything that had happened, Keito thought. Hikaru never spoke of the night Keito spent in his bed, or of how when Keito woke the next morning he had managed to have curled up until he was pressed flush along Keito's side. Keito figured he was embarrassed for showing such weakness, and he decided to pretend that it hadn't happened.

With all of them black and blue they mostly stayed inside, hiding their visages from the katagi, unable to swindle or do work. Yabu would occasionally go out to restock the medical kit and the pantry, and as he mostly did shark loaning and rarely swindled anyway, he still managed to pull in some cash. Keito spent most of his time with Yuto, his roommate trying to teach him how to play mahjong, roping the first two other people he could find into playing with them. Keito found that he was tremendously horrible at the game, often not grabbing tiles he needed, or forgetting important rules. Yuto thought it was funny, and he would laugh whenever Keito got flustered.

One night Keito and Yuto were sitting in the front room, putting away the game—Keito wasn't quite sure, but he thought he had managed to lose spectacularly—when all of a sudden there were loud yells coming from Chinen's office, two voices raised, heated, indistinguishable sounds making their way through the wall. Keito glanced over at Yuto, surprised, and Yuto shrugged, standing up and silently creeping around the back edge of the couch to press his ear against the door. Keito stared at his friend in disbelief. You didn't just listen in on what happened in the Kumi-cho's office; not if you didn't want a broken rib or two. After a moment he recognized the two voices doing the arguing—Takaki and Ryutaro were fighting, but what about?

His thought process was interrupted when the door to Chinen's office suddenly burst open, Yuto panicking and hiding behind the open door, his back flat against the wall. Takaki exited the Kumi-cho's office, a slight downward tilt at the corners of his mouth, his eyebrows scrunched together. He glanced back into Chinen's quarters before shutting the door behind himself and stalking off, not even noticing Yuto pressed up against the wall by the hinges.

"Hey." Keito put the last of the game away, and Yuto rounded the couch once more to join him, still looking out of sorts from the dramatic proceedings.

"What's up with Takaki?" Yuto's eyes widened, and he gasped. "That's right you don't know!" Keito just stared at him for a moment, waiting, before Yuto launched into an explanation. He leaned in, whispering loudly "Way back a long time ago, before Shoon left or....or Taiyo...ya know. Takaki and Chinen were...they were kind of a thing. Takaki is the reason Chinen joined the Kumi; he asked Shoon specially to let Chinen come stay here with us in this place. They always said they were just friends, but...." His voice dropped even lower, and Keito had to scoot closer to hear "...they had a lot of sex. Once Chinen started living with us Takaki didn't go out picking up chicks like he does now, instead he stayed here and went to bed _with Chinen_ every night. And they were always with each other, snuggling and playing games and shit like that...kinda like Yama-chan and Daiki—not at their level or anything I guess, but you get what I'm saying. That is, until Ryutaro came." He leaned back and sighed.

"This is just my own projection, but...I think Takaki's in love with the Kumi-cho. I think he always was, it just took him a damn long time to figure out." Keito's thoughts raced, going way back to a fight, almost two years ago that Ryu and Takaki were having right here in the living room when Keito had jumped between them and gotten punched, the things they had been saying suddenly making sense. He remembered the pictures in the photo album of Chinen, smiling and laughing in Takaki's arms, then jumping forward to how Takaki had reacted to Chinen's broken body once they had found him; the way he had looked as he stood frozen in the doorway, staring down at Chinen's little form. It seemed so obvious now that Yuto had pointed it out. There were so many clues, just subtle enough that if you weren't paying attention you would miss them. Yuto sighed.

"Unfortunately for him, judging on the way Chinen is with Ryu, I don't think it's anywhere near mutual." There was a ring of finality in the statement that Keito felt just couldn't bode well for any of them.

It was Monday that time remembered them. It was a few hours after breakfast, and Keito and Inoo were together in Daiki and Yamada's bedroom, about to begin unravel the bandages from Daiki's wounds and recheck them when Yamada's eyelids fluttered just barely, the little movement causing them to freeze.

"Yamada?" Inoo's voice was tentative, and they both stared as he furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes slowly cracking open. Keito felt a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, and relief washed over him. They all had said that it would be fine, that Yamada and Daiki would wake up. He had to remind himself that he had been knocked unconscious for longer periods of time than this but still...it was really amazingly good to have Yamada back, looking up at him.

"Hi." Keito murmured, and Yamada blinked, gathering himself, and then immediately he frowned, glaring up at them.

"Dai-chan?!" His eyes zipped around in their sockets, examining his peripherals for his boyfriend, but Keito realized Daiki was just out of his range of sight.

"He's right here. He's next to you." Yamada turned his head, wincing at the slight movement, but when he caught sight of Daiki he shifted even more, leaning forward and propping himself up on one elbow, his face screwing up in pain as he did so, but he let his eyes wash over Daiki's face, taking in the bruised cheekbones and healing cuts.

"How is he?" Yamada asked, looking up at Inoo. Inoo's fingers tugged at the wad of gauze in his hands, and it took him a moment to answer.

"He's a seven. He's got a lot of stitches, and we were really worried about infection, but he's managed to avoid any of that. Lots of internal bleeding. He hasn't woken up yet, but he...he'll be fine. He always is." Yamada frowned.

"How long have I been...?"

"A few days. It's Monday." Yamada cursed, slowly lying back down on the bed, shifting so that he and Daiki were closer together, their fingers brushing.

"What's happened? I don't...I don't really remember." Yamada asked, and Inoo frowned.

"We'll explain everything once Daiki's awake. No point in going over it with you only to do it again as soon as he's kicking." Yamada glared at Inoo from his position on the bed, visibly annoyed but too tired and weak to protest. Luckily for him he didn't have to wait long; it was right around lunch time when there was a whoop from upstairs, Yuto announcing

"He's awake!" Immediately Inoo jumped from his seat, zipping up the stairs, and Keito couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm, and he too stood, following Inoo at a much slower pace.

When Keito entered the room Daiki's eyes were open, and he was squeezing Yamada's hand in his own. Inoo had taken a spot next to Daiki, and Daiki's other hand was wrapped around Inoo's, his bandaged forearm resting on top of the sheets.

"Dai-chan, thank god." Inoo said, and Daiki looked up at his best friend, a hint of a smile on his lips, comforting and warm.

"What happened?" He asked, growing serious, unpleasant lines across his face. The question was followed up by a glance Yamada's way. "What happened to Ryosuke? How is he?"

"I'm fine." Yamada's eyes were closed, and Keito had thought him to be asleep, but he murmured the phrase, everyone's attention shifting over to him in surprise. Yamada scrunched his face up, and his eyes fluttered open, meeting Daiki's. As soon as they locked onto each other a sense of calm washed over their two small, built figures, the muscles in their bodies relaxing, breathing almost instantly slowing down, and they adjusted the grip of their hands, so that their fingers fit perfectly. Keito felt like he was intruding on something private. Something special and pure, and he was on the verge of leaving when Yamada glanced up, catching sight of Inoo over Daiki's shoulder, and suddenly they were no longer in their little bubble anymore.

"So, are you gonna catch us up on what's happened since we've been out of it, or are we supposed to piece it together on our own?" Yamada asked, and they began filling the couple in. Neither Yamada or Daiki had much memory of the raid, and when they were told of the whole fiasco with Chinen nearly dying they both were very upset, asking a lot of questions about their young leader's health and safety. It was the revelation of Ryutaro's relationship with him however, that got the biggest response. Apparently neither Yamada or Daiki had had the slightest suspicion about any sort of romantically inclined behavior when it came to the two of them. Once the shock of the news had worn off, Daiki was frowning.

"They shouldn't have...I mean..." He paused, obviously trying to gather his thoughts. "It's not that I don't want Kumi-cho to be happy, and if Ryutaro—the snarky bastard—is what makes him happy I'm fine with that, but..." Inoo finished the sentence.

"But it wasn't handled well." Daiki nodded. To Keito's surprise Yamada and Yuto both nodded as well, hard looks on their faces. They all seemed to be on the same page, but Keito was confused.

"Um...what's the problem?" Yeah, it had been a secret, but they all had secrets. Yamada explained for all of them.

"As our leader Chinen is supposed to remain unbiased in who he assigns tasks, or who goes on a raid, and if he's..." Yamada paused, looking a little awkward. "...sleeping...with one of us I kinda think that's going to impair his judgment. I mean," he sent a mushy love filled look Daiki's direction. "it'd impair mine. And that's a fucking problem."

"Especially if no one knows to check him on it." Yuto chimed in. Keito was surprised by this turn of events. He hadn't considered that everyone else could have a problem with Chinen and Ryutaro's relationship. He'd never asked why they chose to keep it under wraps, but he figured it wasn't his place to ask. The points they were bringing up were valid concerns, he had never considered them simply because at the time he had discovered the relationship he had still been a bit of an outsider, not completely accepted and trusted by his housemates, and by the time he had reached that acceptance level he had grown comfortable with the knowledge of their romantic attachment. His housemates concerns brought up a new perspective, and he listened as they for once unified in their opinions, discussed them.

Keito spent most of the day in Daiki and Yamada's room. Nearly everyone came in some point to welcome the two of them back to the realm of consciousness, some sitting in there for hours, others simply popping their heads around the door. Yamada and Daiki both had a bit of a hard time keeping their heads up and eyes open after a while, and for short periods they would doze off, the sleep bringing calm to their bruised and swollen faces.


	11. Chapter 11

Keito came down for dinner, but the table was uncomfortably empty. Yuto and Inoo stayed up with Daiki and Yamada under the pretense of helping feed them their meal, and Chinen and Ryutaro stayed in Chinen's living quarters. Only Takaki, Hikaru, and Yabu joined him in the kitchen. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company, he did, but there were too many empty chairs at the usually cramped table, and it felt rather abandoned. He didn't like it. He didn't think that the others did either; they were all a bit quieter than usual.

Hikaru must have noticed Keito's sense of abandonment, because after dinner he curled up with Keito on the couch, his arm slung around Keito's shoulders, their bodies pressed together comfortably and he talked about nothing important, chatting amiably. It wasn't anything special, but it was nice. Keito had missed spending time with Hikaru. The older man had been so busy with Chinen's job that Keito felt as if he had barely seen him the past few days. They lounged around on the couch until it was past dark, Yabu and Takaki having left for their usual late night outings. Keito's eyelids began to droop, and Hikaru noticed, saying

"You should go to bed." Keito looked over at him, catching the tail end of a yawn, and he smiled, nudging Hikaru gently with his shoulder.

"You too. You've been busy, you need to sleep." Hikaru shook his head, standing up.

"I can't. I need to go over some shit tonight. Chinen was right in the middle of negotiating a peaceful extension of our territory by the river when we were attacked. It's..." He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heaving breath. "...delicate." He sent a stern look down at Keito, and Keito stood.

"Don't stay up too late." He said, and Hikaru raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up you bastard." Hikaru muttered, but he had a small grin on his face, and he ran a warm hand across Keito's shoulders as Keito passed, heading for the stairs.

It was later in the evening, and Keito had just gotten out of the shower, his sweatpants hung loosely on his hips, his hair still wet, and he was in the hall on the way to his bedroom when he heard sounds of the front door opening. At first he assumed it was simply Yabu and Takaki returning home early, but then Shoon's voice reached his ears, too quiet to make out any individual words, and he froze. Hikaru murmured something back, their conversation brief before there was the shuffling of bodies moving, and the opening and shutting of what could only be the door to Chinen's office. His curiosity was piqued, and he waited by the steps, debating going down to try and listen, or simply going to his bed. As he contemplated his choices, Ryutaro bound up the stairs, nearly running into Keito on the dark landing at the top. Ryu let out a curse of surprise.

"What the hell're you doing, Keito?!" Keito could hit himself for being such an idiot.

"Sorry." Ryu sighed, waving off the apology and glancing back down the stairs, like a dog with separation anxiety searching for its master. "How's Chinen?" Keito hadn't been visiting their leader. Some of the others had, but he didn't really know what he would say, and he figured Chinen would rather be left in peace anyway.

"He's getting better. It's a process but..." Ryu nearly smiled, glancing over at Keito. "He's improving." Keito felt relief and satisfaction settle in one corner of his mind, the corner that was always worrying about his housemates. Ryu stood there at the top of the stairs, lining his shoulders up with Keito's and looking down the stairs to where the light had been left on in the kitchen. "They kicked me out. Hikaru brought Shoon in for some meeting and they all sent me packing." Keito didn't like the sound of that. What was Shoon talking to Chinen and Hikaru about? Could it have to do with quitting his job? Shoon hadn't mentioned it since he'd brought it up after the last raid, but Keito hadn't had a good talk with him since then.

Letting his curiosity get the better of him he decided to curl up on the couch, Ryutaro following him down the stairs. They sat together, waiting for an indication as to the proceedings taking place behind the office door, and after a minute Keito asked

"So, how are things with you and the Kumi-cho going?" For a long moment Ryu just stared at him, and Keito thought that he may not get a response. Ryutaro was obviously very private about his emotions and personal problems.

"Complicated." He paused. "Kinda." He sat back on the couch, body open, and he said "Kumi-cho's not happy about what I did. But it's been done already, and everyone knows, so now there's not much we can do about keeping it a secret. The thing is..." Ryutaro's voice dropped lower, and he was frowning, brow furrowed in concern. "...he won't fucking talk to me about how to handle it. I don't press him about it. He's bedridden, and besides he's always kinda been one to declare what he wants, and I more or less go along with it, because he's good about thinking about what would be best for me too." As he spoke an honest to god _blush_ tinted Ryutaro's cheeks, and Keito was completely taken aback. It was always interesting talking about Chinen with Ryu.

"But at this point I'm starting to—" Ryutaro was cut off suddenly by the door to Chinen's office opening, and they both whipped their heads around as Hikaru and Shoon exited the room. Honestly, neither of them looked good. Hikaru looked very upset, something startlingly close to panic in his face, while Shoon was visibly shaking, looking more tired than ever. He caught sight of Keito and he smiled, but the attempt was weak, and Hikaru took Shoon by the arm, dragging him past the couch and out the front door, determination radiating from him. Keito was intimidated by the whole situation, and he watched them go, his fear and respect for Hikaru outweighing his curiosity. Ryutaro stood, his previous train of thought obviously gone, as he saw his opening.

"Keito, did you want to come with me?" He gestured to the open door, and Keito stared at it for a moment, his thoughts lingering on Hikaru and Shoon, before nodding. Silently he followed his housemate through Chinen's office into the back room. Chinen was in his bed, but he was propped up, and despite discolored patches on his face he looked much better. He had no IV, and the swelling in his face was nearly completely gone. The only reminder of his condition was the bandages. He had bandages around his torso, all the way up and around both shoulders, down to mid bicep on each arm. Ryu immediately rounded the edge of the bed, leaning in for a kiss, and Keito stared for a moment. Yeah, he knew that they were together, but to see the evidence so plainly lain out was strange.

Once Ryutaro had pulled back he wasn't smiling per say, but the corners of his mouth held a slight upward tilt, and he sat down on the side of the bed in a comfortable sort of way.

"How are you feeling Kumi-cho?" Keito asked, and he could hit himself with how awkward he was being. Chinen flicked his attention to Keito's face at the question, and Keito's nerves spiked. It was ridiculous how much the little man on the bed intimidated him, despite the injuries, and the size difference. But then Chinen's expression went from completely blank to a softer, more gentle one, and Keito was numb with shock, as Chinen said

"I'm feeling much better. I've been hoping you would come and see me, Keito. I never got a chance to thank you. You helped save my life, I believe." He paused. "And Ryu-chan told me you've kept our secret for over a year now, unquestioningly. You don't know how much that means to me." Keito was shell shocked. He hadn't expected anything of this nature. Chinen turned his attention back to Ryutaro, and to Keito's amazement the Kumi-cho adopted a pout, his large eyes sad, and he said

"Ryu-chan, I'm hungry." Immediately Ryutaro pulled himself to his feet, despite his obvious weariness, and Chinen smiled gratefully up at him. Ryutaro trudged out of the room, holding in a yawn, and Keito was reminded of the late hour. Once Ryu had gone however, Chinen was serious, dropping the act and asking

"How're the others handling it?" Keito was confused.

"It?"

"My relationship with Ryu. What do they think about it?" _Oh._ Well. He went over the conversation he'd listened to in Daiki and Yamada's room earlier that day.

"I can't speak for all of them. But..." He paused, not really liking the feeling of tattling on his housemates and friends. Chinen seemed to understand his reason for hesitating.

"Keito, I need to know. I'm not looking to judge anyone, I completely understand if they've been furious, but I need to know so that I know how I, as the current leader, should handle it." Chinen's tone was serious, and he met Keito's gaze, convincing. Keito nodded.

"Okay." Chinen smiled a small, barely there smile, and he snuggled into his pillows a bit. Keito braced himself, and jumped into it.

"Daiki and Yamada woke up today." He started, and the little Kumi-cho cocked his head a bit, obviously not quite understanding where Keito was going with this. "Inoo, Yuto, and I went up to talk to them, and we got them up to speed on everything they'd missed while they were out. They worried about your well being a lot, but when we told them about your relationship with Ryutaro they seemed rather...displeased." Chinen sighed, worry visibly engulfing him. Keito felt the need to elaborate. "It wasn't necessarily the relationship itself that they seemed to take issue with, but because of your position as our leader they all seem to feel that it would promote favoritism when it came to assigning duties or making difficult choices.

"They also didn't like the way you two handled the relationship—specifically that the relationship had been kept a secret. They thought that if you had sat down and discussed it with them then there wouldn't be any problems, because if we as a group knew about it then we could keep any of the supposed favoritism in check, and we could all conduct ourselves in a better manner." He let out a breath. "Those were the main concerns. All four of them seemed to hold that basic opinion." He felt anxious about Chinen's reaction, but Chinen simply nodded, his face blank, and the room went quiet. Keito was about to speak again—he didn't know what he would say, but he wanted to say _something._ But the door was pushed open, and Ryutaro was back with a big bowl of soup balanced on a tray, breaking the silence.

Chinen immediately turned his attention to his boyfriend, a warm smile on his face, and Keito was shocked by the complete one-eighty. Chinen was completely different around Ryutaro. He seemed warmer, happier, and more open and trusting. He seemed more willing to allow emotion onto his face, where as he always was so detached when he was addressing them as a group. It struck him that Chinen probably was as a person much closer to the himself that he was around Ryutaro, and it made him rather sad that Chinen felt that he had to remove himself from being their _friend,_ and instead be the boss constantly, not letting them get to know him very well.

Ryutaro set the soup down on the bedside table, and Chinen took his hand, pulling it to his chest, gripping it in both of his own, smaller hands, Ryu looking down at Chinen, a small smile on his face. Chinen returned his attention to Keito.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Keito." Keito took that as his cue, and he stood, bowing a small bow and leaving the room, shutting the door behind himself. He returned to the couch, his thoughts going over the conversation he'd had with Chinen. He rethought everything he'd said, anxious about his words. About the effect they could have on some decision Chinen seemed to be trying to make, and make alone. The whole thing made him anxious. What was it Chinen was deciding to do? He let his mind wander through possibilities, his stomach churning a bit.

His thoughts were interrupted by the front door being pushed open, and he looked up to see Hikaru reenter their home. Shoon wasn't with him. Keito immediately stood, and he registered how Hikaru no longer seemed to have that wild, scared look, instead he seemed heavy and drawn into himself, and Keito, immensely concerned about what had happened with his friend and his boyfriend, immediately asked

"Hikaru is everything okay?" Hikaru looked over at him, before taking a few long strides over and pulling Keito tightly to his chest, wrapping one arm around Keito's shoulders, the other hand running gently through his hair, as if sheltering him from something, despite Keito actually being ever so slightly taller.

"Oh Keito..." Hikaru was murmuring the words, barely audible, and not quite sure what he was supposed to do, Keito just returned Hikaru's hug, wrapping his arms around his housemate's back. "...I'm sorry. It...it..." Hikaru paused. "You poor thing." Keito was confused, and he was starting to get a little scared, but Hikaru didn't actually tell him anything no matter what questions he asked.


	12. Chapter 12

He ended up coming to the conclusion that Shoon must be breaking up with him. He didn't know what else in reference to Shoon would explain Hikaru pitying him like he had. As soon as the concept made itself a possibility he began to feel sick, dread gnawing away at his insides, and he began to become undone inside, despite nothing having happened just yet. He didn't get much sleep that night; instead he sat up worrying about everything, wide awake on his top bunk, listening to Yuto's steady breathing down below.

The next morning Shoon came around just after Keito had breakfast, and Keito's stomach dropped at the sight of him. He wasn't going to sit around and wait until Shoon thought it was the appropriate time, or some other nonsense like that, he decided. And he took Shoon out into the alley, sitting down next to him on the concrete stairs right by the door. Shoon seemed very confused by the whole thing, so Keito just asked.

"Are you planning on breaking up with me?" Shoon seemed very confused by the question.

"Breaking up...? No. Where did you get that idea from?" Keito felt a wash of relief before he'd even completely processed Shoon's words, and he couldn't help but ask

"Really?" Shoon took in his face and he grinned, slipping his hand into Keito's.

"Keito...as of right now I plan on being with you for the rest of my life." Keito knew he was crying a little, but they were tears of relief. He was just being stupid. Shoon loved him. He pressed a kiss to Shoon's lips, and Shoon squeezed his hand tightly.

"I will never voluntarily leave you, you crazy bastard." He almost looked sad as he said those words, but Keito wasn't quite sure; he still had a tear in his eye. "I love you." Shoon murmured into his neck, placing a kiss at the little spot where his neck and shoulder met, sending tingles down his spine. Keito responded with a kiss to Shoon's nose, then his cheek, and then up by his eye. The kissing lasted a while—until Keito had calmed down—and Shoon was rubbing circles on the back of his hand with a slightly trembling thumb, both of them having fallen silent.

"I've left my job." Shoon announced. Keito was surprised. That wasn't much time.

"When?"

"Today, just now. Before I came by I went by the office." He paused, playing with Keito's fingers. "I still have a lot of money saved up, so I'll be fine. I'm going to keep my apartment, but I was thinking about spending more time here. I could cook and fight and be of more use with the Kumi. That's what I talked with Hikaru and Chinen about last night." Keito hummed, indicating his understanding, and Shoon slipped an arm around his waist, his fingers slipping under the waistband of Keito's sweats.

"Wanna come back to my place for an hour or two? We have all day." Keito leaned in, placing a lingering kiss on Shoon's lips, the older man responding enthusiastically. Once he pulled away he found himself smiling.

"Sure."

From that point on Shoon was around every day. He would run errands, play cards, cook, and spar with the others. Some days he was around from morning until dusk, while others he would only show up for dinner, before returning back to his apartment. Everyone quickly got used to him being around, and they squeezed him in at the table, on the corner between Hikaru and Keito. As time rolled by, the days grew hotter, and one day Keito was out in the alley, watching as Shoon and Yuto sparred, their bare tops glistening with sweat as they threw punches and shuffled around each other. Keito was admiring Shoon's muscles when he realized just how tan his boyfriend had getting.

His once creamy white skin was bronzing, and as it did old scars that had faded away were brought to light, stark white in contrast with the tan. Shoon was covered in scars. He had these pale stripes zig zagging all over his arms and chest, up his neck and over his shoulders, crossing each other and patterning his body as if in some morbid tiger-like design. Keito was amazed. None of the others looked nearly as bad as that. It got him thinking. What had Shoon's Kumi life really been like? He had been the first after all. He'd had to figure it all out on his own. He hadn't had a father, or a group of people to reach him the ropes. There must have been a lot of learning things the hard way.

A week or so later they were cuddling in Shoon's bed, sweaty and naked, basking in the afterglow of satisfaction, their bodies still tangled up together under the sheets. Not as exhausted as his boyfriend, Keito let his fingertips trace over the scars, running down one until it crossed paths with another and then changing direction. His trail went up Shoon's chest, and he paused once he reached Shoon's shoulder, unable to go any further. Silently Shoon obligingly rolled onto his stomach, allowing Keito to continue tracing down his back. Once there however, instead of letting his fingers trace the lines of the scars, he let them run along the ink lines defining Shoon's tattoo. His fingertips curled along the clouds, bumped down the sides of the mountains, and danced across the little rooftops, before he came to the huge, golden sun with its rainbow rays of light bursting from its core.

It was there that he rested his head, wrapping his arms up under the weight of his boyfriend's body to grip him in a hug. He felt even then the raised lumps of skin outlining scars from old wounds. He hummed happily, placing a chaste kiss on Shoon's back.

"I love you. I love your body. I love your tattoo." He muttered, and he felt Shoon chuckle underneath him.

"I love you too, you menace." Shoon twisted himself back around, lying on his back and pulling Keito to his chest, wrapping his arms around Keito's shoulders, lacing their fingers together.

"Tell me about it." Keito muttered, closing his eyes, listening to the pulse of his boyfriend's heart.

"It?"

"Why you got it."

"You know why."

"Tell me anyway." Keito leaned forward and up, placing a kiss on Shoon's jaw line before settling back onto Shoon's chest. Their skin was tacky with sweat, but he was too tired to care. The endorphins were still there, but he wasn't buzzing with it any longer, and he was starting to get tired. Shoon's grip on his hand tightened fondly for a moment before he started.

"Taiyo was always the happiest kid. He was a dork; he was clumsy and he was silly, he always made everyone laugh; although admittedly not necessarily on purpose. And he was a lot taller than the other boys his age. All of this made him really different from all of the other kids. Because he was...well, Taiyo, the others teased him a lot when we were younger. He usually didn't care, but as he got older it really started to bother him sometimes, especially since he wasn't our strongest fighter. It really started to affect him. He didn't see how important to the group he was.

"I got my tattoo as a symbol. Taiyo means sun. The sun is him bringing happiness to every situation; to even the most angry and messed up of people. Because that was who he was, and what he did. When he saw my ink it reinstalled his confidence in his place in the group. It cemented his belief that he was wanted in the family." Shoon adjusted his grip on Keito's body; but Keito was already feeling warm, his body heavy, and within moments of Shoon finishing his story he was asleep, Shoon quick to follow.

The next morning, Keito was brushing his teeth in Shoon's tiny little bathroom when his eye caught on two little identical boxes sitting on the counter, by the soap. He picked one of them up, examining it. It was a hair dying kit. Did Shoon want to dye his hair? But he probably wouldn't need two just for himself would he?

"Shoon?" He finished up, wandering into the kitchen, the little box in his hand. Shoon had been making breakfast, but he stopped when Keito came in. Keito showed him the box, sending him a questioning glance, and Shoon said

"It's something I've thought about doing. I never could because I was a lawyer, but now that I'm not, I thought it could be fun to do together." Keito looked down at the little box in his hands. He'd never dyed his hair before, but how hard could it be?

Very hard, apparently. After breakfast they returned to the bathroom, stripping down to their underwear so as to not get dye on their clothes, and got to work. Shoon had Keito read the directions, and they got to work. They somehow managed to get hair dye all over Shoon's tiny bathroom, ruining three of his towels in the process. The whole ordeal was actually rather fun, Keito enjoying being able to do something for Shoon as he scrubbed the dye into his boyfriend's scalp. Despite any errors, in the end they both were sporting light golden brown locks, not unlike Takaki or Daiki's hair color.

After they had cleaned up Keito stared at himself in the mirror. He hadn't expected it to be so big of a change. The lighter color reduced the contrast between his skin and his hair, and as a result he appeared to be more tan. Shoon too seemed darker, and he somehow seemed a little bit shorter to Keito. Keito wasn't sure he liked it, but then Shoon caught sight of him staring at his reflection and he smiled, coming over and pressing his body flush up against Keito's from behind, burying his hands in Keito's hair, his eyes peeking over Keito's shoulder to look into the mirror. As Shoon's fingers massaged his scalp he couldn't help but smile and he turned around, scooping Shoon up in his arms in one swift movement and carrying him to the bedroom.

He loved the light Shoon got in his eyes when he did that. The happy, loving, fun look that was almost exclusively followed by a crack of laughter that nearly swallowed his eyes completely in its grin. He poured Shoon onto the bed in a mess of limbs, and after giving him a second to regain his balance he pounced; running his fingers teasingly along Shoon's sides, tickling him until his boyfriend begged for mercy, peals of laughter and lighthearted shrieks filling the room. Keito couldn't help but laugh along with the older man, and wrapped up in enjoying each other’s company they lost track of time.

It was after dinner time when Keito finally left Shoon's apartment that evening. It had been a while since he'd been home—a little over twenty-four hours—and it was strange feeling. Keito and Shoon hadn't actually ever ended up eating anything else after breakfast, and he hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he was on his own wandering the streets, and he took the liberty to get himself a carton of strawberry milk from the first conbini he came across to drink on his way home and get something in his stomach.

When he popped in the tiny store he didn't expect to see any familiar faces, but as he glanced around he caught sight of Yabu and Takaki across the top of the shelves. They were curled up in a corner of the place, sitting around a cheap plastic table, styrofoam cups in their hands. Takaki was visibly upset, and Keio immediately was concerned. He wanted to go over and ask what was going on, but he knew that Takaki wouldn't confide in him—despite Takaki obviously trusting him in a fight, the older man didn't seem to trust him with his thoughts. Instead he browsed the shelves, quickly finding his drink and paying for it, hoping that he wouldn't be recognized. They didn't even look his way, and he grew more bold, sneaking around behind them and settling himself into a chair near his housemates' table, listening in on their conversation.

"He nearly died you know." Takaki was saying. Yabu sighed loudly as if he'd grown sick of the discussion, as if no matter what he said it was getting nowhere.

"We have all nearly died before, Takaki. Each and every one of us has been in critical condition before at some point."

"No we haven't. Yuto hasn't. You haven't. The closest anyone's come to being that hurt was..." He paused, thinking. "that time that Keito was in a coma for two weeks. And that was back before he was any good at fighting." Keito cringed a bit at that, but Yabu came to his defense.

"He wasn't that bad. Sure, he sucked in the beginning, but by the time you're talking about he was alright. Not amazing or anything, but he was useful."

"That's not the point. The point is that it's my fault Chinen's hurt." Yabu scoffed at Takaki's declaration.

"Takaki, did you fucking shoot him?" There was a pause.

"No."

"Did you hold him still so that someone else could shoot him?"

"Well no, but—"

"Then it's not your fault."

"But I'm the reason he joined the Kumi in the first place. He wouldn't have been there to get shot if it wasn't for me asking him to come live with us." Yabu groaned.

"You're being an idiot!" The phrase came out almost like a growl, and Keito jumped a bit in surprise, fumbling his milk. He'd never heard Yabu get that short tempered with someone. "Chinen wouldn't have been shot if he wasn't the Kumi-cho, correct? And who made him our leader?" Yabu paused, as if speaking to a five year old. "He did. Chinen did it to himself, he put a target on his back when he usurped the position, instead of just respecting Shoon's opinion and letting Hikaru take over." He sighed. "Look, it's upsetting, I know it is, and I was really worried about him too, but you have to stop blaming yourself for this. No one else does, not Chinen, not even Ryu—" Takaki scoffed at the mention of Ryutaro, but Yabu ignored him. "—it's just you. Besides, he's nearly well enough to be getting out of bed now anyway."

There was a moment of silence, and then the sound of someone getting to their feet.

"Let's go." Yabu announced, closing the topic, and Takaki too got to his feet, the two of them exiting the conbini without another word. Keito just sat there, mulling over what he'd heard, sipping his milk. One thought crossed his mind. Yuto would be proud of him for eavesdropping so successfully.


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next day he got many comments from his housemates on his new hair color, but his recreational change was dwarfed a few days later when Chinen was declared well enough to be up and moving about. The news was delivered with the addition that there was to be a meeting in the kitchen that afternoon, and that it was very important that they all attend, as if they weren't already aware that they were obligated to be anywhere Chinen wanted and any time. So they all gathered in the kitchen. They were silent, and there was an underlying tension in the room. Everyone knew why they were there; it was an unspoken understanding among all of them that they were there to discuss Chinen and Ryutaro's relationship.

Keito was very anxious about the discussion. He hadn't seen or spoken with Chinen since their little leader had asked him their housemates’ opinion of his revealed relationship. At the time it had seemed to Keito that Chinen was planning, making decisions, and it made him uneasy. He obviously wasn't the only one; Hikaru was sitting in his place at the table, his hands folding, clenching and unclenching on the tabletop in front of him, causing the tendons in his arms to dance, his muscle rippling with his nervous energy. Yabu had a hand on his shoulder, and he stood behind Hikaru's chair, as if standing guard.

Chinen and Ryutaro were the last to arrive. They entered the kitchen hand in hand, and everyone's eyes caught on their interlocked fingers at once. Chinen was looking much better. His bandages had been reduced just to the shoulder he'd been shot in, his other cuts reduced to new scars. He walked completely on his own, and he took his seat at the head of the table, gesturing for everyone to sit. They did, Daiki and Yamada the slowest moving, still not quite up to their usual form. Chinen was quiet as they all took their seats, and Ryutaro didn't release the grip he had on his boyfriend's hand, his gaze sharp and protective as he looked around at them all. It was just a front, Keito knew. Ryu was scared.

"There's something I've been keeping from you all for a very long time now." Chinen's words were spoken with a strong even tone, but they felt rehearsed, and Keito could feel despair sinking in his stomach as Chinen spoke. "I've been in a relationship with Ryu for...quite a while. We we've been steady now for about a year and a half, but we first got together...when was it?" He turned to Ryu, who blushed a bit, but said

"The beginning of 2008." Chinen nodded.

"As your leader I understand that this was inappropriate, and the fact that it was kept hidden for so long has made it even worse on all of you, and for that I am truly sorry." He took a sweeping glance of all of them, and for a second Keito thought that that was it, and that he was done, but then Chinen dropped the bombshell. "But sorry is just words. All of this has made me realize that I am not suited to be your leader. A good leader would not conduct himself as I have. I am renouncing my position as your leader, and instead I was hoping..." He looked across the table, all the way down to the other end, and he said "I was hoping to give it to you, Hikaru."

"What?! Yuri, no!" Ryutaro was looking at Chinen with such alarm that Keito knew he hadn't been informed of Chinen's decision. Keito was stunned, his mind rejecting the information. Nothing could have prepared him for this. He watched in disbelief as Chinen stood from his chair, taking a few steps to a clear space on the tile before falling to his knees, bowing so that his forehead was touching the floor.

"Please, forgive me for my actions. For everything." He stayed there, in that position on the floor, and for a moment they all just looked down at him, not speaking. Then, Yabu said

"What do we all think about this?" His question was directed at the rest of them, and one by one they all nodded. Keito could barely believe it, yet he couldn't think of another person as well suited for the job of being their leader as Hikaru was, if that was what Chinen wanted. He looked over at Hikaru. His housemate obviously wasn't prepared for the whole ordeal; he seemed uncomfortable, and frantic. Finally, everyone had given their nods of consent but him, and Yabu said

"Hikaru?" He looked over at all of them, asking

"You really want me to be the Kumi-cho?" There were a few nods, and Inoo smiled a bit, saying

"I can't think of anyone better for the job." Hikaru took in a big breath, exhaling loudly, obviously trying to be calm and collected, trying to handle everything responsibly. He sat there in silence for a moment, thinking, and Keito was on edge, but finally, he too nodded.

"Okay." Hikaru looked over to where Chinen was still bowing, kneeling on the floor.

"We forgive you." He looked around at everyone's faces as he said that, and there must have been some slight discontent, because he added

"But, you and Ryutaro aren't allowed to eat with us at the table for the next month. You'll eat separately, one in the living room and one on the stairs, okay?" Ryutaro nodded silently, and Chinen looked up at Hikaru. The older man stood, offering Chinen a hand up, and Chinen graciously took it, once on his feet he said

"Thank you." His words were shaky, and then to Keito's surprise he began to cry, tears running down his cheeks silently. Ryutaro stood from his place at the table, taking Chinen's face and cupping it in both of his hands, and then in front of everyone he leaned in, kissing him. The kiss lasted for a long time, and once it broke Ryu pulled Chinen to his chest, and he muttered

"God, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I love you so much you crazy..." The serious tone was broken by Inoo saying in a jokingly over exaggerated way

"Well, _that's_ gonna take some getting used to." They erupted into laughter, relieved that the whole ordeal was pretty much over. The only person that didn't was Ryutaro. His face was blank, and while he kept an arm around his little boyfriend, he didn't seem happy or content. Hikaru looked over at Yabu.

"You know, as Kumi-cho I'm going to need a second in command." He said. Yabu broke out in a grin. "Think you're up for it, Yabuchii?" Keito felt himself smiling, as Yabu nodded.

"Fuck yeah I am." The tall, thin boy threw his arms around Hikaru's neck, and Keito felt relief wash over him. Everything was going to be different. Everything. But it was going to be okay.

That night for dinner there was one last dilemma to be solved, and they all stood around, staring at the seats, all of them that is, except for Ryu and Chinen. They took their spots in isolation without complaint. Keito looked around at the chairs, not liking the silence. Where were they supposed to sit? Hikaru just glanced awkwardly at the seat all the way down at the other end of the table, where Chinen used to sit, not actually sitting down in it. It was Daiki who said

"Kumi-cho! Go get in the fucking Kumi-cho's chair." Hikaru plopped down obediently at the head of the table.

"Yabu gets the other end seat then, right?" Yuto asked. Hikaru nodded, and so Yabu took the spot that Hikaru used to sit at, but everyone else just stood there around the table, at a loss.

"The rest of you, just sit wherever you want tonight, and that'll be the new seating arrangement." Hikaru announced. Without further ado Inoo slid into a seat next to Yabu, Daiki, Yamada and Yuto following suit so that their whole side of the table was taken up. Keito took the seat across from Yuto, next to Hikaru, and Takaki sat down on his other side, leaving space between them for Chinen and Ryutaro once they were allowed back to the table. Hikaru smiled. "Great! Let's eat." To Keito's surprise Shoon didn't show up at all that day, and he resolved to call his boyfriend the next morning—Shoon had to be told about everything that had happened.

Any thoughts he had about calling Shoon the next morning dissipated as soon as he went downstairs for breakfast. He and Yuto were the first ones awake, and together they went downstairs, Yuto telling him all about some dream he'd had where Inoo turned into a bug when they turned the corner and entered the kitchen to see a white cloth folded rather sloppily on the table.

"What's that?" Yuto walked over to the cloth, curious, but Keito stopped, wary, recalling stories his father had told him when he was a child. Old yakuza tales. Yuto pulled gently at one of the corners. "Keito, it's bloody." He looked over to where Keito was still standing a few feet away, and he gestured for him to come closer. "See?" Tentatively Keito took a step forward, peering over at the cloth. Sure enough, deeper in the folds it was stained with blood. He felt a knot of foreboding clench tightly in his stomach, but he couldn't bring himself to stop Yuto as his friend carefully unfolded the fabric. Suddenly, Yuto jumped back, as if bitten, and he cursed loudly.

_"Shit!" _Keito caught sight of the thing that the fabric had been concealing, and he felt a wave of disgust and nausea wash over him. It was a finger. The top joint of a little finger was lying there in the white cloth, blood from the severed joint having seeped into the fibers. Yuto looked down at the body part in contempt, and a shiver rolled down his spine.

"A fucking finger." He muttered, obviously still not quite believing it. Keito however, began to panic, as a new question came to mind.

"Yuto...who's finger is it?" Yuto looked over at him wide eyed.

_"Fuck!" _He sent a glance back down at the severed digit, before declaring "We need Hikaru." They tromped back up the stairs, bursting into Hikaru's bedroom. Their new leader was fast asleep, his sheets half thrown off of him on the bed. Yuto shook him roughly.

"Hikaru! Hika, get up!" Hikaru woke with a jolt, his eyes snapping open, and he took one look at their faces and pulled himself to a sitting position, flicking his knife open.

"What is it?! We're not being attacked?!" He looked at them as if they were idiots for just standing there, when there was a supposed enemy in their home. Keito shook his head.

"No, no." Hikaru let out a breath of relief, his bare chest heaving, and he put his pocketknife away. Keito shared a glance with Yuto. "Hikaru...there's a finger downstairs." Hikaru stared up at him from where he was sitting, all wrapped up in his sheets.

"What?"

"There's a finger...on the kitchen table." Hikaru rubbed his eyes with his hands in a weary sort of way.

"Shit. Are you serious?" Keito and Yuto both nodded meekly, and he got to his feet, heading straight down the stairs to the kitchen, where the finger was still sitting in the bloody fabric. Hikaru scooped the whole thing up in the palm of his hand, silently looking down at it for a moment, before muttering

"Fuck." He folded the cloth up around the joint and set it back down on the table, leaning forward and resting his palms on the tabletop.

"Yuto, can you wake everyone up for me please? Keito, tell me exactly what happened." Hikaru looked like he didn't actually want to know, like he already was dreading the story, but Keito told him, and as he did they could hear movement coming from the second floor as Yuto roused the rest of them. Keito was just finishing up his story as Daiki and Yamada came down the stairs. As they gathered they all stood around the kitchen, leaning against the edge of the counter or flopped half awake in a chair. They all seemed confused, but they waited for someone to explain. Yabu and Yuto were the last to arrive, and Hikaru did a quick head count.

"Where're Chinen and Ryutaro?" Inoo stood from his spot at the table.

"They're probably in Chinen's room. I'll get them." He went back into the Kumi-cho's quarters, returning after a minute with a bleary eyed Chinen.

"Ryutaro?" Hikaru asked.

"He wasn't there." Inoo announced. The thin young man stopped, stooping to pick something off of the coffee table, and he handed it to Hikaru. It was a blank white envelope. Hikaru took it, holding it in one hand.

"Has anyone seen Ryu?" They all shook their heads.

"He wasn't in our room when Yuto woke me up." Yabu informed them. Keito felt a sinking dread manifest in his gut.

"What's going on, Kumi-cho?" Yamada's eyes were wide with confusion and concern, his hand gripped tightly in Daiki's, and they all turned to Hikaru for an explanation.

"Yuto and Keito found this this morning." Hikaru pushed the bundle of fabric out into the center of the table. "There's a finger inside. Someone committed yubizume." There was a dead silence, as everyone registered what he was saying. What he wasn't saying.

"Shit." Inoo muttered. Chinen stood up, dashing up the stairs, and the all followed him to the room Yabu shared with Ryutaro.

"RYU!" He searched frantically, and they all stood in the doorway and watched as he pulled all of the dresser drawers open, ripping the sheets off of the bed, desperate, but Ryutaro—and his belongings—were missing. They all turned to look at Hika, and he ripped the envelope open, pulling a page out. There, written in sickeningly familiar handwriting were the words _I'm sorry._ Hikaru stared down at the page for a moment before announcing

"He's gone."


	14. Chapter 14

The days that followed were a whirlwind of weirdness and change. Hikaru moved into the Kumi-cho quarters, and Yabu took Hikaru's old room, leaving Chinen to the room he had shared with Ryutaro. Ryutaro was still missing. They'd put all of the underlings on full watch, with the orders to catch and return him to their house. Keito was skeptical about that course of action. Ryutaro was a good fighter, he didn't think any of those kids could really keep him subdued enough to take him somewhere he didn't want to be. Takaki didn't seem to think that Ryu wanted to stay with the Kumi at all anymore, but whenever he voiced this opinion he always got death glares from most of them, with the occasional whack to the back of the head from Yabu or Daiki. Chinen insisted that Ryutaro wanted to come home, but he felt that he couldn't, because he was blaming himself for Chinen stepping down.

Chinen seemed distraught by Ryutaro's disappearance, and he spent from dawn to dusk every day out searching for him. While Keito understood his desire to look, it seemed unrealistic to him to think that Ryu would allow himself to be found that easily. That didn't stop him from going out and looking himself a couple of times. It took him by surprise just how much he missed the younger guy. He found himself worrying about him constantly, but he wasn't the only one. All of them, even Takaki despite his belligerent front, were visibly concerned about him. They all glanced at the door more often, as if expecting him to just walk back in, they left him a seat at the table, and they all would wait up a little bit longer than usual every night, hoping he'd turn up.

The ones that stayed up the latest were always Takaki and Chinen. Takaki stopped going out clubbing as soon as Chinen stepped down, and now he was spending every night with their former leader curled up in his lap, the younger man's head buried under his chin. They'd sit in silence waiting by the door until Chinen fell asleep, and then Takaki would always carry him up the stairs, tucking him into Ryutaro's old bed before going to sleep himself. It was bittersweet to watch. The way Takaki looked at Chinen in those moments it was so easy to see just how in love with the small man he was, but Chinen had blinders on, unable or perhaps unwilling to acknowledge Takaki's feelings for him.

Hikaru meanwhile was barely been around the weeks that followed, often either holed up in his new office or out doing who knows what at all hours of the day or night. He was always there for dinner, but he rarely spoke, and he always looked heavy and weary. Despite that there was a different atmosphere with him at the head of the table. Keito had been a bit worried that he would clam up and distance himself from the rest of them, the way Chinen had, but despite him not being around as much it felt like they could still treat him more or less the same, and ask him anything. It was nice.

Chinen meanwhile seemed to have let his guard down significantly. He talked so much more than before, and Keito realized that Chinen was ridiculously, naturally smart. He was amazing at mahjong, and brain puzzles, his logic skills making any game he was involved in fun to watch. He probably could have gotten into a university, despite never having even gone to high school. He seemed to love physical affection, often curling up next to Takaki or sometimes Yamada on the couch. Keito thought it was amazing, and he sat back and watched as Chinen came out of his shell. The only problem was that he never smiled. Not the way Keito had seen him smile when he was with Ryutaro, or the way he had smiled in pictures from when he was younger. He would occasionally flash weak, false looking smiles for Takaki, but for the most part he didn't grin at all.

One night Keito and Shoon were sitting together on the couch, Shoon nestled under Keito's arm, his legs halfway in Keito's lap, and they watched as Chinen finished up a game of cards with Takaki, frowning and pouting one second before reaching up to bop his older companion playfully on the forehead. Keito found himself smiling, and he couldn't help but say

"It's amazing how different Chinen is." Shoon hummed in agreement.

"You never saw him before he was leader. He was glued to Takaki and then later on Ryutaro. He had Takaki wrapped around his finger; he'd do anything for Chii. Chinen was always good at getting what he wanted, and he was cute enough, and manipulative enough to make people happy to do things for him. He was really fun when he first joined, always trying to figure out how best to get his way with everyone. He was a cutie pie." Keito giggled a bit at that. Chinen, his former leader, someone he knew to be an amazing warrior, described as a _cutie pie._ Shoon sent him a teasingly hurt look.

"What?! He was!" Keito placed a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead.

"If you say so." Shoon just huffed a bit, nuzzling his nose into Keito's neck, planting kisses there, making Keito blush. Shoon had recently been more openly displaying affection with Keito. Whether it be with the Kumi, or just out on the street, he would hug and kiss as if they were all alone back at his apartment. Keito wasn't sure what to make of it, honestly. It wasn't that he didn't like it; he just didn't want to make anyone else uncomfortable. He was saved from any further embarrassment however, because Shoon tucked his head onto Keito's shoulder, drawing his knees up and resting them in Keito's lap, and within minutes he was asleep, dozing peacefully there on the couch.

Keito rubbed contented circles on Shoon's back as he slept, and after a few minutes he was joined by Yamada, who had just returned from a swindle, his first job since the raid. He looked good, strong and healthy, and more confident than Keito had seen him in a while. It was really nice. Yamada caught sight of Shoon's position and he smiled, shaking his head.

"Dai-chan is just like that—once he's asleep, nothing can wake him up." Keito grinned.

"Yeah. It's nearly our anniversary." It had begun to nag him a little. Their one year anniversary was coming up in a few weeks. He wanted to make it something really special, but he wasn't sure what he could do. "What do you and Daiki do on your anniversaries?" Yamada cocked his head a bit, thinking.

"Daiki usually does stuff for them; he's really into that type of thing. Let me think. Our first year he got my katana refurbished as a surprise, then our second year was when we picked out our necklaces together." Yamada reached up, fingering the silver skull he had dangling around his neck. "Our third year he got a cake, and last year he took me out on a really nice date." He paused. "Dai-chan's been really great." Yamada was smiling warmly as he talked, and at that moment Daiki plopped down next to him on the couch, and Yamada took the opportunity to kiss him, tangling his fingers in Daiki's hair, holding him there in the kiss. Keito blushed, looking away until they pulled apart, Daiki looking surprised but happy.

"Ryosuke, what was that for?" Yamada shrugged, smiling.

"I just wanted to." Daiki let out a warm chuckle, putting a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead.

"Want to go to bed early tonight?" Daiki took Yamada's hand as he asked the question, his eyes glistening with love, and Yamada nodded, standing and hand in hand they retreated up the stairs. Keito was left with Shoon, still sleeping in his lap to contemplate the possibilities alone. Well, he still had a few more weeks to figure something out.

That night he and Yuto were brushing their teeth together in the bathroom when Yuto said

"The seventh is Friday." It took Keito a moment to register what Yuto was talking about.

"Oh, the anniversary of Raiya's death, right?" Yuto nodded, spitting in the sink.

"It's the ten year anniversary..." He trailed off, giving Keito a look through the mirror. Keito too spit in the sink, answering the unasked question.

"Of course I'll go with you." He put his toothbrush away, and Yuto nodded, looking relieved.

"Thanks." Keito slung a comforting arm around Yuto's shoulders.

"I'll always go with you you know. You don't need to ask every time, Yuto." Yuto nodded silently, obviously grateful, and his fingers traced over the tattoo on his chest of his brother's name in blood.

As promised, that Friday Keito dressed himself in his best, most somber black suit, silently helping Yuto tie his tie. Yuto could have tied it himself, but it was a quiet bit of moral support, one Keito knew his friend needed. They met Yamada at the bottom of the stairs, and Hikaru had a bouquet of flowers for them that he handed to Yuto before letting them out the door. Like every year there was a limousine waiting for them a few blocks away, ready to take them to the cemetery. There were few words spoken during the entire process. Once they reached the cemetery Yuto took Keito's hand, gripping it tightly as they wove through the grave markers to find Raiya's final resting place.

Just as they did the past few years, they all cleaned the grave site, decorating it with the flowers Hikaru had given them, and Yuto knelt down in front of it, praying silently for a minute. Keito stood behind his friend, thinking. Yuto's reality was his greatest fear. He didn't have any siblings that could die, but he had his housemates, and Shoon. Losing them would be the worst possible thing he could think of. He felt a great wave of sadness wash over him at the thought. He didn't think he could handle ever having to go and visit the grave of say Yabu or Daiki. They might be good fighters, but they were still just human, and humans were fragile. He thought of how Kamiki had died right there in the living room only a few months before. That could easily have been Yamada, or Inoo or any one of them.

His negative train of thought was interrupted when Yuto pulled himself to his feet, and Keito blinked back the oncoming tears, giving Yuto a small smile.

"Are you ready?" Yuto nodded, face somber but dry, no tears running down his cheeks, and together the three of them returned to the limo, making another long and quiet drive back into their territory. They returned to the house and changed out of their nice clothes, and just like that the day continued on like normal. Keito was feeling down, grave visits always left him feeling weary and a little upset, and usually he could count on Shoon to cheer him up, but his boyfriend was nowhere to be found, and not wanting to be needy or troublesome—Shoon never moaned or complained seriously when he was with Keito—he turned to the second best person; Hikaru. After most of his housemates had gone to bed he found himself knocking on the Kumi-cho's office door, and at Hikaru's call he peeked his head in. Hikaru was in pajama pants, sitting at his desk with one knee drawn up in the chair, a large Manila folder open in his hands, but he set it down when he saw Keito, gesturing for him to come in.

"I don't want to be any trouble." Keito said, but Hikaru smiled.

"Keito, you're no trouble. Come sit with me. What is it?" Keito slipped inside, shutting the door behind himself, and as he took a chair across the desk he said

"I just wanted to talk to you. You're more busy now...I don't get to see you as much." Hikaru smiled, reaching across the desk to tousle Keito's hair.

"You're such a fucking softie, Keito." He retracted his arm. "That's something I've always thought was weird about you. You're yakuza royalty, and yet you come to visit me in my office because you've _missed seeing_ _me." _Keito was confused.

"What about it?" Hikaru shrugged.

"It's just different, that's all." Suddenly, the door to the office burst open, and Yabu was there holding a pair of jeans in one hand.

_"What the fucking hell, Hikaru?!"_ Yabu looked terrifyingly mad, his anger radiating from him in waves, and Keito froze in shock, but Yabu didn't seem to even realize he was in the room. Hikaru too looked surprised, his eyes wide. Yabu continued. "These are yours right?! You just wore them_ today. _Do you_ know_ what I just found in the pocket?!" His voice was shrill, and he looked like he was about to throw a punch at Hikaru's face. Hikaru had gone pale, and Keito was confused, but intimidated, the atmosphere heavy.

"Keito, give us a minute—Yabuchii, I can explain." Keito stood, holding his breath as he slipped past Yabu, the door shutting behind him. It was barely shut when Yabu screeched

_"HEROIN?!"_ That one word made Keito freeze. _What?!_

"Look, I'm not going to say that it's not mine—" Hikaru started, and there was the sound of a fist connecting with bone. Yabu was yelling.

"You_ promised! _You swore you'd never do to again! After what happened with your parents, after everything Shoon did for you! How _could_ you?! God, I'm going to kill you! I swear to God, I will _strangle_ you!" Keito felt rooted to the spot, just outside the door, doomed to hear the conversation whether he wanted to or not. Hikaru sounded frantic, his next phrase so rushed Keito could barely make it out.

"I never actually used it! I swear! I never used it. Yabu, I promise." There was the sound of another punch hitting bone, and Hikaru cursed loudly, Yabu still sounding beside himself.

"I don't fucking believe you! You had it on you! It was in your fucking_ pocket!"_ Then, Hikaru was yelling back at him.

"Do I _look_ like I've been shooting up to you?!" He paused, taking his voice a notch quieter. "Do I honestly look like I've had _any_ of that shit?!" Everything fell silent to a long moment, Keito's heart racing in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Finally, Yabu spoke.

"No. No you don't." He still sounded angry, but now his anger was tainted by confusion. "What I don't understand is if you're not using, then why the fuck do you have it?" There was another long pause, and Yabu said "Well? You have five seconds before I fucking beat your ass." He was met with an answer almost immediately, Hikaru's tone rough, his words pouring out in a rush.

"I know things, okay? Life's been a fucking train wreck for me for the past month or so, in case you haven't noticed! I kinda had to figure out how to run the Kumi when Chinen was injured, with no help. Then the little son of a bitch put me in charge, which was fine and all, except that Ryutaro decided to cut off his finger and take off my first day on the job! And on top of that Shoon's cancer is back, and he's dying, and no one else knows because he made me swear not to fucking tell anyone!" He paused, and everything was quiet for a moment inside the room. Outside of it, Keito felt a huge weight drop out of his stomach. "So I've been a little stressed out recently, and I haven't been able to tell anyone, or do anything about any of it. Do you know how desperate that made me? So yeah, I might've thought about shooting up a few times, but I never_ did._ I just...I just didn't know what else to do. I just wanted it all to stop." By then end Hikaru sounded desperate and upset, and Keito felt a clawing, biting terror beginning to rip at his insides.


	15. Chapter 15

"Shoon...his cancer is back?" Yabu sounded completely stunned, his words void of emotion, as if he didn't actually believe them. When Hikaru responded he sounded utterly defeated.

"Yeah. He found out a few months ago, at the beginning of March."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"And he told you?" Yabu was sounding upset now, but for a completely different reason than before.

"No...I figured it out that evening when he said he was quitting his job. He quit because he'd started having seizures again, not because of any of the other shit he told everyone else." Keito felt sick as his thoughts raced back to that night, the way Hikaru had hugged him, refusing to let go and refusing to say why. Hikaru had known, all this time...

"Seizures?"

"Yeah...I guess having a tumor in your brain can cause them. He said he had seizures last time too. He's on seizure medication and some other shit for his migraines, but he said its terminal this time...There's nothing the doctors can do to fix him."

"So now what, he's just going to fucking _die?!"_ Keito could hear the tears he knew were running down Yabu's cheeks in his the tone of his voice. Hikaru didn't respond, but his silence spoke for him. The silence lasted a long while. Keito was still frozen outside the door, his throat prickling unpleasantly, his stomach churning; his whole body wracked with an intense panicked dread, and it was in that silence that he realized he was crying, hot tears streaming down his cheeks silently._ No...no...it couldn't be true. It couldn't be true....anything but....but _that_..._

Suddenly, Yabu said

"No one else knows?"

"No."

"Not even Chinen? He didn't tell him?"

"No." There was another, smaller pause.

"Oh god—not even Keito?!" Keito felt a jolt of unreasonable fear run down his spine when his name was mentioned.

"No."

"Oh shit—that's....fuck. Poor Keito..."

It was at that point that Keito stopped listening, as his own voice—his own sobs—grew loud enough to drown out the voices coming muffled through the door. He hadn't realized he was no longer being quiet until he opened his eyes—when had he shut them?!—the empty living room reminding him where he was. One coherent thought occurred to him;_ don't let them know you heard. _He uprooted himself from his place by the door and as quickly and quietly as he could, despite his shuddering breaths and his tears still running relentlessly down his face he made his way up the stairs to the closet he always hid in.

It was the place he went the first time he saw Hikaru kill a man, a place he felt he would be left alone, unnoticed. He shut himself in the darkness, and it was there amongst the extra towels and a vacuum and a mop that he allowed himself to cry; grief and fear and dread washing over him relentlessly, Hikaru's words imprinted in his memory, ringing in his ears. He cried for what felt like years, but at some point there in the dark he finally managed to fall asleep.

When he woke the next morning, he felt terrible. He had a headache, and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot from all of the crying. He had knots and stiff muscles from sleeping in an unnatural position, and his mouth was dry. He still had a deep, immense sense of complete and utter dread immersing his intestines, and he was shaking a little, depression settling over him like a layer of dust on a forgotten object. Despite all of this he found that he was more composed. He'd done all of his crying—at least for the time being.

His first order of business was to take a shower. The warm water relaxed his muscles, and as he washed he realized something that hasn't occurred to him before. He was going to have to see Shoon again. Soon. Possibly today. If not today, then at the very latest next week on their anniversary. What was he going to do? Was he going to say something? Shoon didn't want him to know, but now that he did know was there any point in keeping it a secret? At the same time, if Shoon really was—Keito couldn't bring himself to even mentally acknowledge the word, the _concept_ of _dying_—then shouldn't the rest of their time together be spent in a happy way, instead of worrying over things like tumors and seizures? He wasn't sure which would be worse; pretending to be oblivious, or having to talk about it.

He threw on sweatpants and went downstairs, scarfing down some breakfast before grabbing Takaki for some sparring out in the alley. Recently they had been a pretty even match—the two of them the same height—and Keito had even beaten Takaki a few times, much to the older man's chagrin. Today however, Keito was failing miserably. Takaki told him so after managing to pin him down three times in an hour.

"You fucking suck today, Keito." The handsome brunette announced, offering Keito a hand and yanking him to his feet. "It's like you're not really trying. Are you getting sick or something?" Oh, the irony.

"Sorry." Keito was sweaty, and he had scrapes on his shoulder blades where he'd hit the asphalt. Takaki shrugged. Then from behind him a voice called out

"Keito! Takaki!" Takaki broke out into a grin, waving, and Keito turned to see Shoon strolling over to them, a smile on his face. He froze, watching as Shoon got closer, and then somehow Shoon was in his arms, giving him a tight hug and placing a kiss on his lips, and he felt so_ healthy_ and_ strong,_ and everything seemed as if nothing was wrong, and that in itself seemed somehow twisted.

"You're sweaty." Shoon said as he pulled away, wrapping his arms around Takaki in for a quick hug, and it was in that moment, as Keito was watching Shoon smile and be so strong for all of them that he decided he'd do his best to follow his boyfriend's lead and act as if nothing was wrong. At least around his housemates. He wasn't sure if he should talk to Shoon about it. He didn't know if he could handle that conversation, and he wasn't sure Shoon wanted to talk about it. He knew that Shoon would have the conversation if he brought it up, but...Keito felt himself getting worked up, and he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, taking Shoon's hand and swooping in to put a kiss on the shorter man's cheek.

"Hey."

"Hey." Shoon replied, adjusting his grip on Keito's hand, and Keito gave Takaki a nod of thanks for his sparring practice before leading Shoon back into the house, and as he turned to go up the stairs Shoon said

"You're bleeding." Oh yeah, his shoulders. "Let's clean that up. What happened?" They meandered into the kitchen, Keito straddling a chair backwards as Shoon fished around in a drawer for a washcloth.

"I was just slow." Shoon shook his head, taking the wet washcloth to his scrapes and cleaning the ground bits of rocks and dirt from the wounds. Keito bit his bottom lip, trying not to wince at the way it stung. Shoon still noticed however, and he giggled.

"Keito, buck up!" He peered around Keito's shoulders to look at his face, and Keito pouted at him comically, and Shoon's smile only grew bigger, and he pressed his lips to Keito's, and Keito pulled him in, responding more enthusiastically than Shoon had been anticipating. He wanted to feel as much of him as possible, to not waste any moment, but at the same time he felt detached from what was happening, detached from the careless, flirty, happy exterior he presented for Shoon all day, and the conflicting states left him exhausted at the end of the day, and he felt completely drained by the time his head hit his pillow.

This continued for nearly a week before Keito caved in. It was the perfect opportunity, honestly. He was over at Shoon’s; they had been celebrating their anniversary with a romantic candlelit dinner. It was just the two of them and Keito was going through the cabinets and drawers in Shoon's little kitchen looking for the hand towels to pick up the pieces of a glass Shoon had accidentally dropped when he found them—Shoon's pill bottles. He had a drawer with a grouping of the little plastic tubes thrown haphazardly inside. They both froze when Keito opened the drawer, staring at its contents for a moment, and Keito felt himself beginning to panic a bit. This was it. Oh god.

Shoon had gone white, and he looked up at Keito with wide, panicking eyes. Keito wasn't sure what his face was doing, his emotions running high, and Shoon said

"Keito, I—" Faced with the reality of Shoon's situation, staring back at him from the bottom of the drawer Keito felt his self control crumbling, and he covered the distance between them, scooping Shoon up in a hug, physically picking him up as hot tears working their way out of eyelids squeezed tight, and he cut the older man off.

"I know." He took a deep, shaky breath. "I know about the...the cancer." Shoon pulled away just enough to look at him properly.

"You know?! How?" He sounded shocked, but his voice was soft, and his eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"I heard Hikaru talking to Yabu about it. They didn't know I was listening." He fell silent, rubbing small circles on Shoon's biceps with his thumbs, and Shoon rested his head on Keito's chest, wrapping his arms around Keito's waist.

"How long have you known?"

"Not very long. Only about a week."

"Oh." Shoon fell silent. They stayed like that for a minute, Keito just holding Shoon close, feeling his chest expand and contract with every breath as he tried to hold the wave of despair at bay. "Keito, I'm sorry." Shoon said quietly. "You shouldn't have found out that way." Keito just shrugged. What was he supposed to say to that? "Here, let's sit and...and talk about it, okay?" Shoon offered, leading Keito by the hand to the couch, where they sat side by side, and Shoon asked "Keito, what did Hikaru say, when you found out?" Keito's mind raced, going over the conversation; the words etched into his memory, trying to organize it into a more coherent phrase of explanation.

"He said that you found out about the cancer in March. He said that you quit work because you're having—" he felt the next word stick in his throat for a moment. "—seizures. He said you're taking medicine for them, and for the migraines, and he said..." He felt a hot tear roll down his cheek, his voice getting shakier as he continued. "...he said you were dying this time. He said you're not going to get better." He looked over at Shoon, who sighed, nodding.

"That sounds accurate." Keito shook his head a bit at that, hating the confirmation.  
"And there's nothing we can do? I mean..." He thought cancer could at least be fought, couldn't it?  
"Well, not really. What I have, it's terminal. Sure, I could go through a bunch of nasty surgeries and treatments, but I wouldn't be able to do stuff the way I used to, and the doctors said that it would only extend my life for like another six months or so. It's just..." Shoon reached out, gently fixing a flyaway hair by Keito's ear, his fingers trailing along his cheek. "I'd rather have a shorter, happier life than a drawn out painful one." They sat in silence for a while, Keito crying, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. He took a deep breath before he asked

"How long...what do the doctors say?"

"Right now they're saying I have two more months, give or take." _Two months._ That seemed like an impossibly short amount of time. He tried to put it in perspective, to understand. He nodded.

"Okay." He looked over at Shoon. "Okay. This...it'll be alright. We'll get through this together...if that's okay with you."

"Oh Keito..." Shoon pulled himself into Keito's lap, straddling him, his knees on either side of Keito's hips, and he kissed him, cupping his face with his hands. The kiss lasted until they both were gasping for oxygen, and Keito wrapped his arms around Shoon's thighs, holding him tight and standing in one swift motion, intending to carry him to the bedroom, but instead he got to his feet, lost his balance, and together they promptly fell flat on the floor, Keito took most of the hit, landing on his back with Shoon on top of him.

"Shit! Shoon, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" The words were out of his mouth as soon as they hit the floor, and he was panicking, disoriented, but Shoon pulled himself so that he was on his hands and knees over top of Keito, and he laughed, laughing until he cried. Keito looked up at Shoon from the floor, and once he realized that no one was hurt he felt a smile growing on his face.

"I love you." Keito said, and Shoon grinned a blindingly bright grin, wiping tears from his eyes, and he said

"I love you too." He pulled himself to his feet before offering Keito a hand. "To the bedroom? We were celebrating before everything got so damn depressing. Today is a special day. Anniversaries are important. Let's make this one a happy one." Keito nodded, allowing himself to be led around the corner, allowing any thoughts of the future, and the next few months to be out aside. They were celebrating, after all. Today was a special day.


	16. Chapter 16

The night of their anniversary was the last time Shoon did anything in that room but sleep. In the next few days Keito quit all of his late night gigs, retiring his guitar to his closet. Taking care of Shoon was going to need his full attention in the time to come. The rest of the guys in the house were still oblivious to Shoon's condition; Yabu and Hikaru doing an amazing job at pretending nothing was wrong around their housemates. The most pressing thing, aside from Shoon's condition, was another big upcoming anniversary—the anniversary of Johnny Kitagawa's death. Johnny had been the Kitagawa group's leader up until his death two years previously, after which Keito's father Kenichi had taken over and had forced the Heisei Kumi to take Keito in. Over the next few days everyone was making sure their suits all still fit, getting their hair cut and preparing for the event. Even the underlings were preparing, and Keito realized that _everyone_ would be there.

This would be his first time going; he'd missed last year because he had been in a coma at the time, but this year he was healthy, and he was nervous. His father was certainly going to be there, and he had missed his dad, to be certain, but two years had passed since they had last spoken. He had changed a lot in those two years, and he was anxious about what his father would think. And, despite being the Kitagawa Group's leader's son, he didn't know many—if any—people outside of his Kumi. Heck, he didn't even know most of the underlings in their branch. It was going to be a lot of strangers.

Finally the big day rolled around, and they all dressed in their suits, everyone waiting in the living room, talking quietly and adjusting and readjusting their ties. Keito immediately found Yuto.

"I'm nervous." He announced, and Yuto smiled.

"Oh Keito, it'll be fine. It's more of a social event anyway." Yuto slung a lanky arm over Keito's shoulders. "You remember the funeral right? It's like that, just without the funeral part. Lots of other Kumis there, lots of people standing around, sharing stories and smoking. You don't have to talk if you don't want, and you can stick with me if that'd make you feel better." Keito took a deep breath, nodding. Yuto was right. "It's mostly Hikaru that's going to be under any pressure. Everyone's heard about the change in leadership around here, and that's not...normal. He's going to have to make a good impression with the other groups while we're there." Yuto shrugged. "Not that I'm worried about that—he'll be fantastic."

On cue Hikaru stepped out of his office, looking impeccable in his suit and tie, a pin of the Kitagawa clan's crest on his lapel—a sign of a Kumi-cho. He was the last to arrive, and he led them all through the abandoned buildings into their underling housing where what seemed to be hundreds of teenage boys were all waiting, dressed in suits and ties. The boys all bowed low as they approached, and Keito was taken aback. He was probably the lowest on the totem pole of authority at home. He hadn't been expecting any respect from these kids.

"Relax." Hikaru announced, and they all stood, Shintaro and a small group coming forward and shaking Hikaru's hand. Keito recognized the boys around Shintaro, they were the same ones that had helped out with the raid a few months ago. Seeing Shintaro struck a chord in him. It was amazing how much he looked like his older brother. Ryutaro was still missing, and everyone's hopes were beginning to grow dim about him returning. It was a strictly avoided topic at home, everyone very touchy about it. They all missed him dearly.

"What's going on?" Keito whispered, and Yuto leaned in, whispering back.

"Shin's kinda our top guy living here. He's made himself leader of our underlings so to speak, and the kids around him are his buddies. They keep the new kids in line and make sure everything's running smoothly since Kumi-cho and Yabu can't be around all the time." Keito nodded. He could see how that would be necessary looking around at the kids—he'd had no idea they had so many members.

The underlings all fell in behind them, close but not too close, keeping their distance. In the shuffle Keito heard them murmuring to each other, and curious he turned to see what the fuss was about. One of them was pointing at Daiki, and Daiki's nickname—The Dragon—fell from his lips. When they caught him looking over at them they all froze, blanching, and bowing quickly before looking away. Weird. Yuto giggled, clapping Keito on the back, and the huge conglomeration of people made its way through the streets to where a line of charter busses were waiting for them. Everyone loaded up, Hikaru and the other eight of them getting a bus to themselves, the underlings packing into others, and after a few minutes they were off. It was a temporary relief to be alone with only his housemates, and Keito let out a sigh. Today was going to be stressful.

When they arrived at the cemetery they saw lines of charter busses just like theirs up and down the streets and filling parking lots, and Keito felt his nerves heighten. There were going to be so many people. He sent Yuto a frantic glance, and Yuto smiled, fixing his hair.

"Keito, you're fine. It's fine. No one's even going to get in a fight, I promise." Keito nodded, and he watched out the window as a man with dyed brown hair in a suit—a Kumi-cho from another group, Keito realized, spotting the pin on his lapel—ushered their bus into a parking space. Hikaru stood, making his way to the front of the bus, and he got off, greeting the man with a hug. They talked enthusiastically for a moment before Hikaru signaled for everyone to follow, and they all stood, hopping off of the bus one by one. Keito watched as his housemates all bowed to the man as they greeted him, many of them shaking his hand and sharing a few words, smiles on their faces.

"That's Koyama-san. He's the Kumi-cho of the Sagamihara Kumi. He's really nice. He used to help Shoon out with us at these types of events when we were all still kids sometimes." Yuto informed him as they were getting out, and that was the only information Keito got before he found himself face to face with the man.

"It's an honor to meet you." Keito said, bowing low, his heart racing. Koyama however shook his head.

"No, it's an honor to finally meet you, Prince." Keito straightened up from his bow, and to his surprise the man bowed even deeper than Keito had, holding it for a moment before returning to his full stature. Keito stood there in disbelief for a moment before Daiki called from up ahead

"We're gonna leave you, Keito!" Startled, Keito nearly tripped over himself as he went to catch up with the group. Koyama had called him _Prince._ What was that all about? His mind flew back to his birthday, when the man his father had sent referred to him as _Young Master._ Was that title something they were doing because of his father? Was it a _common_ thing? He fell into step with Yuto, trying to be as indistinguishable as possible, but after the obligatory grave visit the group dispersed, stopping and chatting politely with men from other Kumis, and he began to feel as if he had a target on his back. Every person, young or old, that saw him bowed respectfully, the ones that introduced themselves all calling him _Prince_ or _Young Master,_ no one actually engaging him in conversation, as if he was a spectacle, and the more it happened the more uncomfortable he got.

Yuto stayed by his side like he'd promised, and at first he seemed as bewildered by the treatment as Keito was, but after a while he seemed comfortable with it, a small indulgent smirk on his face. Eventually however, Keito did see someone he recognized—his dad. He felt a nervous energy zap through his body, but he couldn't help but smile, and he went to go greet him. Yuto however, froze. Keito turned back around, perplexed.

"Yuto? What's the matter?"

"Keito, are you fucking crazy?! I can't go up to the Oyabun! I'm not in any sort of position, or of any importance, I have no right to talk to him!" He now looked as uncomfortable as Keito had been feeling since they'd arrived. Keito was surprised. He hadn't thought about it like that. "I'll wait for you here, okay?" Yuto offered, and Keito patted him gratefully on the back.

"Thanks Yuto. I'll only be a minute." He said, returning to his original trajectory. His father must have seen his discussion with Yuto because when Keito turned back around he was waiting for him, a smile on his face.

"Keito!" His dad announced, and Keito felt himself smiling. Once they were close enough his dad pulled him in for a big hug, squeezing him tight. Keito felt a wave of happiness. He'd missed his dad a lot.

"Hi dad." He immediately realized he could have just made a big mistake. "Or...am I supposed to call you Oyabun? I'm sorry, sir." His father chuckled, shaking his head.

"I like being dad." He said, and Keito nodded, relieved. "So, how's my man doing? How's the Kumi been for you?" He asked, and Keito couldn't keep the grin off his face as he told his father about his companions. When he got to Yuto he gestured to where his friend was still standing a few yards off, waiting patiently, his hands in his pockets.

"That's Yuto. He's my roommate and my best friend. He's been really patient with me, and he's very kind. He's always there for me, making sure I'm happy and well, and he gives his best for the Kumi." His father listened intently, and after listening to Keito's description he pointed to Yuto.

"That tall one there, with the earring?" Keito nodded, and his father called out

"Yuto-kun!" Yuto looked over at them, startled. Keito giggled as his father waved Yuto over, his friend going pale, immediately bowing, extremely polite as he said

"Oyabun, it is an honor."

"Keito tells me you're quite something yourself, Yuto-kun. He speaks very highly of you." At his father’s words Yuto shot Keito a look of surprise.

"Keito's been just as good for me as I've been for him sir. He's helped me through my struggles even more than he knows." Yuto said, and Keito's dad laughed.

"It's good to know Keito's made himself good companions." Keito slung and arm across Yuto's shoulders, trying to be comforting, and Yuto blushed.

"Thank you sir." Yuto said, dipping his head a bit.

"So Keito, any love interests I should be aware of? Future in laws I need to meet?" Keito froze up. What was he to say? Yuto shot him a look. He realized that his father _knew_ Shoon. He'd been the one to take Shoon into the clan in the first place. But explaining his relationship with Shoon was a long and complicated story, one he wasn't sure he wanted to get into. But he didn't want to lie.

"Yeah. I um...I have a boyfriend." His father smiled.

"Congratulations! How long have you been seeing him?"

"A year. We had our anniversary a little over a week ago." Keito said. His father nodded, and he was obviously going to ask more, when an older man approached, a cell phone in hand, and he gave Keito's dad a pointed look. His father nodded, saying

"I'm sorry, I have to go." He pulled Keito into another big hug. "It's amazing seeing you, son. We'll have to get together again soon." He turned to Yuto. "Thank you for taking care of Keito for me." Keito waved as his father walked off.

"Bye dad."

Once alone Yuto sighed, resting his head on Keito's shoulder.

"Fuck." Keito laughed.

"He's not scary, Yuto."

"He's fucking terrifying, Keito!" His friend objected. Keito shook his head.

"Let's go find the others." They wandered through the people, and slowly the group of them all reformed, and once Hikaru declared it time to go they all clambered back onto the charter bus, returning home. Everyone talked about who'd they'd spoken to, or what stories and gossip they'd heard from people from other branches of the clan. Keito listened enthusiastically to their tales, the story telling lasting all the way through dinner, after which he threw on some more casual clothes and went by Shoon's apartment, using the tales of the day as an excuse to go, anxious to see his boyfriend.

He'd wished Shoon could have come with them; the older man probably would have loved getting to see a bunch of familiar faces. He wished Ryutaro could have been there as well, Chinen could have used his support. Their smallest member had been very curt with anyone who had asked about Ryutaro's absence, or his self demotion. He was obviously upset and ashamed about the whole thing, and it had been uncomfortable to watch.

Keito thought about this as he made his way through the streets to Shoon's apartment, the sun nearly set, dusk beginning as he reached Shoon's door. He rapped on the door with his knuckles, waiting. Nothing. He knocked again. Shoon's door remained undisturbed. He frowned. That wasn't right.

"Shoon? It's me!" he yelled, hitting the door. "Is everything okay?" He felt panic rising in his chest, and he dug in his pockets for the extra key Shoon had given him months before, putting it in the lock and twisting, forcing the door open. "Shoon?" He slipped off his shoes haphazardly, bolting into the apartment. "Shoon?!" He turned the corner, into the kitchen; and he saw him. Shoon was on the floor, his whole body wracked with spasms, jerking harshly on the tile. It was terrible to watch, his movements unnatural looking, and Keito froze, his heart lodged in his throat. Next to him on the floor was a spilt instant dinner, the food still hot, steam rising from the rice and meat sprawled across the tile.

The seizure only lasted another thirty seconds before Shoon stilled, and Keito managed to get close, falling to his knees beside his boyfriend. He took a deep breath, trying not to sound as if he was panicking, and he waited until Shoon's big doe eyes cracked open, looking up at him in confusion.

"What's going on?" He asked. "Where are we?" He made to sit up, but he was shaking, a different kind of shake, the way a person does when they've been crying for hours. Keito put a hand on his shoulder, holding him down.

"Shoon, we're in your apartment, on the kitchen floor. It's—" He checked his watch. "—nearly eight o'clock in the evening. You just had a seizure." Shoon looked up at him, taking in the shock Keito knew he wasn't managing to hide, and he shut his eyes, one of his hands curling into a fist, which he slammed into the floor.

"Damn it!" He muttered.

"Should I call an ambulance? Call someone for help or something?" _Anything._ Shoon sighed.

"No. They can't do anything for me." He looked wearily up at Keito. "I just want to go to sleep." Keito nodded, helping Shoon to his feet, walking with him to his bed, making sure he was okay. He seemed fine now; tired but fine. Once Shoon was tucked away safely in bed Keito cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, trying to ignore the sharp images of Shoon's spastic body imprinted on the insides of his eyelids.

He didn't cry until he got into bed that night.


	17. Chapter 17

From that point on Shoon's condition began to deteriorate at a much faster rate, and as it did Keito grew more and more anxious. What if something happened—like the seizure, or worse—and Shoon was all alone in that apartment of his, with no way of getting help? The next night he decided to voice his concerns, and he found himself once again knocking on the Kumi-cho's office door. When Hikaru saw it was him a warm smile spread on his face.

"Hey Keito. Is this another I-missed-you visit?"

"No. Not this time." The smile faltered a bit, and he let Keito in, taking a seat behind his desk. Once they were situated he asked

"What is it?"

"It's about Shoon." At Keito's words Hikaru froze, and he looked over at Keito in shock. Keito felt a small pit of guilt in his stomach. This wasn't a topic that should be sprung on anyone. He backpedaled a bit. "I know about the cancer." Hikaru sighed, hiding his face with his hands for a moment, but he nodded. Keito continued. "His condition is getting worse. He had a seizure at his apartment the other day. Hikaru—sorry. Kumi-cho, I don't think he should be living on his own anymore. He's not going to be able to take care of himself for too much longer. Besides, it's not safe; what if something terrible happens and no one is there to help him?" Keito knew he sounded anxious, and Hikaru looked concerned.

"I was wondering if I could ask him to move in with us. I'm not sure what room yet, but if he's here there will always be someone nearby, so he wouldn't be alone." He paused, letting his request sink in. "Please." They sat in silence for a moment, and Hikaru slid his top desk drawer open, pulling out a cell phone. He dialed, and Keito waited tentatively as it rang. On the second ring the person on the other end picked up the line.

"Yabu, hey. It's me." Hikaru leaned back in his chair as he talked, and he rolled his eyes. "Then go outside or something. We need to talk." He pulled the phone away from his ear, mouthing '_gambling'_ across the table to Keito as an explanation. After a moment Yabu must have said something because Hikaru relayed the details to Yabu about what Keito had said. Keito listened, and when he got to the end Hikaru added

"So, I was thinking they could take your bedroom, if that's okay. You're the only person with their own room that has a bed made for two people." He paused. "Well I'd give them mine but—yeah. Yeah. That was my first thought but, the ladder. I doubt Yuto will mind. If he does you can share with me." There was another pause as Yabu talked. Hikaru smiled. "Thanks, Yabuchii. Yeah yeah, I know." Yabu's next words caused the smile to fade a bit. "I know. Bye." He returned his attention to Keito, hanging up the phone.

"Yabu says you and Shoon can take his room for the next few months." Keito let out a breath he'd been holding in relief.

"Thank you. Thank you so much Kumi-cho." Hikaru sighed, shaking his head a bit, and when he looked up at Keito he looked immeasurably sad.

"Anything to help." Keito stood, turning to go, and he was at the door when Hikaru said

"Oh and Keito...I'm truly sorry." Feeling his emotions trying to get the better of him, Keito nodded, hastily leaving the room. Now he just had to convince Shoon.

"Fuck no." Shoon was looking at Keito with such indignation it made him cringe. He didn't think he'd ever seen Shoon look angry before. Not like this. "I'm not moving in with you guys. Why in hell would I do that?" They were in Shoon's apartment; Keito had come over under the pretense of wanting to bake cookies without getting teased by his housemates. His facade was quickly dropped when he forgot to go pick up ingredients for the cookies from the supermarket, and he had decided to just ask the damn question. It wasn't going well.

"Shoon, you're not getting any better, and I know you want to keep everyone in the dark about what's happening, but soon you're not going to be able to take care of yourself." Keito paused, knowing the weight of those words.

It had never been acknowledged just how bad Shoon's condition was getting; it was simply understood in silence between the two of them what it was that he could and couldn't do. Shoon's pride wouldn't let him vocalize just how much help he was needing, even with simple tasks like reading and writing.

"I just don't want them to see me...I don't want anyone to see me when I get bad. Not even you." Shoon paused, taking a heaving breath. "I don't want to be _remembered_ as a weak, ill, fragile, _wasted_ shell of myself. It's so fucking embarrassing." Keito understood Shoon's argument, but his _prid_e didn't come before what the right thing was. He had to make Shoon understand.

"It's the best thing for you. You know it is. You're not going to be able to hide what's happening. So you should just accept what Hikaru and Yabu are doing. They said we could have our own room, they're ready to help you with anything you need—"

"I'm not some _child_ that needs looking after! I'm a twenty-four year old man! I've taken care of myself since I can remember; I don't need to be coddled." He was practically yelling. "Who the fuck do they think they are?!" Keito frowned, despair and frustration washing over him at his boyfriend's stubborn, prideful petulance. Shoon was lashing out irrationally.

"They're just trying to do what's best for you. Shoon, we _all_ are just trying to do what's best for you." Shoon refused to look at him, and Keito knew he was still angry about what Keito was asking of him— not quite ready to accept that this was what he needed, even if logically he knew it was the best course of action.

"Shoon, look at me." Keito took his hand, twining their fingers together, squeezing tight, and for a moment they just sat there in silence. Shoon was trembling, his hand quivering, and the shake wasn't from anger or frustration, it was from the illness. It was ridiculous for him to think he'd be fine on his own, and that little tremble sent waves of despair, of _fear_ about the future, about Shoon's mental and physical deterioration through him, and it was then that Shoon chose to look over at him.

Shoon's big doe eyes were shining with unshed tears, his mouth set in a hard line that was obviously a scared attempt at being forceful, and Keito could see the weakness in him. He could see in his eyes and written on his face just how fragile Shoon had become. Keito wanted nothing more in that moment than to flee. He didn't want to see his protector, the man he had always thought of as being so invincible, fall any lower. He didn't want to have to watch the man he loved die. He took a deep breath, and then another, feeling the tears coming on. He couldn't just leave Shoon alone.

"I've been trying...I _am_ trying to keep myself together. I want to be strong for you, because I know it’s much, much worse for you to go through this than it is for me to watch." He consciously tried to regulate his breathing, not too deep, not too shallow. When he locked eyes with his boyfriend however, he felt his already shaky resolve beginning to fall apart. "Shoon...it's so _hard."_ He felt a tear slip past his defenses, sliding slowly down his cheek. "I'm afraid." Keito admitted, and he could hear the quiver in his voice. "I'm so scared that you're going be alone, and something's going to happen—you'll have another seizure, or you'll fall and hit your head, or you'll just wake up one morning and not be able get up—and no one will know." He knew he was crying, but Shoon was crying now too, silent tears spilling over and down his cheeks, his nose becoming red, his eyelashes sticking together, clumping as the tears fell.

Keito knew his grip on Shoon's hand was painfully tight, he was squeezing hard, his fingertips turning red, his knuckles white with the pressure he was exerting, but Shoon was squeezing back, holding on, and it was that grip that Keito mentally latched on to. It was that feeling of their hands clasped so tightly to each other that drove his final confession, and his last plea.

"I'm not ready to let you go before I have to, so if you won't do this to help yourself..." He wiped furiously at his cheeks in his free hand, destroying the neat little tracks his tears had left down his face, trying to pull himself back together. "Then do it for me." They lapsed back into silence, and Shoon took a deep, shuddering breath, wiping at his eyes and his running nose, and as he did he spoke.

"Okay."_ Oh thank god._ Keito felt the wave of relief drain him of his tension, and suddenly he was exhausted. They sat in silence for a moment, Keito winding down, trying to return to a state of homeostasis. Shoon however was obviously thinking hard about his decision, because when he spoke once more his tone had changed significantly. Now he was all business. "How early can I move out? There's no point in wasting time." Keito was taken aback.

"Um...I'll have to talk to Hikaru about it. No one knows but him and Yabu, he'll probably want to get our room set up before we can move you in. We didn't want to start until you'd agreed to the idea. And he might want to figure out what to tell the others when they ask what's happening and why..." He realized that this would be the most realistic time to break the news to everyone about Shoon's cancer. Yet... "You still don't want them to know, do you?" It was more of a confirmation than a genuine question, and Shoon nodded. "Okay. Well, he'll think of something...I hope. We'll have to discuss it." Shoon nodded again, leaning to his left and resting his head on Keito's shoulder, a sigh escaping his lips. He was still trembling, and Keito wrapped his arms around Shoon's shoulders, pulling him close, and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

The next morning Keito met with Hikaru and Yabu in Hikaru's office, explaining to them what Shoon wanted. They listened attentively, and once Keito had finished they all brainstormed various excuses they could use to dispel any of the questions their companions may ask about the new arrangement, as well as setting a date for Shoon's permanent arrival. It was decided that with Hikaru and Yabu's busy schedules that the week after next would be ideal, and it wouldn't be too hard, what with the room already furnished and everything, all Shoon would need to bring would be his clothes and any sentimental objects he had.

Hikaru decided that they'd tell everyone that Shoon was only moving in because after having quit his job with the law firm he found himself low on cash, and as Shoon was the one that had taken then all in when they needed a home, it was only natural that they take him in, if only temporarily. Keito thought this was the perfect excuse. It was one that his housemates could relate to, and it wasn't complicated, which made the lie easy to remember. It was scary how good Hikaru was at lying. They all were—all but Keito. He knew he was the weakest link in this fabrication they had spun up. He was not looking forward to having to answer his housemates’ questions.

Despite any small qualms he had personally, Keito relayed their plans to Shoon who agreed to them readily, and with that Hikaru decided to call a group meeting in the kitchen the morning before the date they'd chosen for Shoon's arrival. Everyone arrived when Hikaru asked; some still half asleep, all confused, and they sat around the kitchen table to listen to what their leader had to say. Keito was anxious about the whole thing. In the days leading up to the event he had plenty of time—in between visits to Shoon's to pack and take care of his boyfriend—to worry. He wasn't sure how the others were going to react. He was afraid they wouldn't accept Hikaru's lie. He was afraid they_ would,_ because then what would happen when Shoon's deteriorating state could no longer be kept a secret? How would everyone feel when they found out—because it was inevitable, they _would_ find out—that their new leader had lied to them, _especially_ so soon after having taken the title? He managed to get himself so worked up about it that in the morning before Hikaru got a chance to start the meeting, or even leave his office, Keito found himself knocking on the office door.

Hikaru opened it still not completely dressed, only in a low slung pair of jeans, a toothbrush still in his mouth. Keito felt embarrassed, but Hikaru just looked at him quizzically and waved him in, immediately

of walking straight through the office and bedroom into the bathroom, and Keito could hear as the sink ran, and then Hikaru called

"Keito, make yourself comfortable. What's the problem?" He emerged from the bathroom, toothbrush-less. "Are you okay?"

"I've been thinking about our plan; the whole story we decided to tell the others about Shoon just needing a place to stay because he's low on money." Hikaru nodded, leaning casually against the doorframe to his bedroom. "I don't think it's a good idea." Keito announced. Hikaru just blinked at him.

"Keito, of course it's a bad idea." Keito was taken by surprise. "But it’s an idea I was hoping that you and Shoon could get behind because it accomplishes what he wants; his illness stays far out of the picture. At least for the time being." Hikaru sighed. "He's not ready to tell them yet."

"But what're we going to do? The lie won't work, not for long, and then—" He was panicking, acting irrational because he was scared, and he knew it, and if made him mad at himself, but he couldn't stop. Hikaru's brow furrowed as he watched Keito panic, and he reached out to put a hand on Keito's shoulder, but Keito latched on to him, pulling Hikaru to him and hugging him tightly, and after a moment of surprise Hikaru wrapped his arms around Keito's shoulders, holding him. Hikaru was warm, his bare skin smooth and comforting, and Keito took big gulps of air, trying to calm himself down. "Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to..." He found himself muttering the words in a mantra, and Hikaru let out a small laugh.

"You fucking brat." He said the phrase fondly, and he just stood still and held him, letting Keito hug him however long he needed until he calmed down.

"Keito." He pulled back enough to look Keito in the face. "Keito I've got this. Let me handle it." It was then that Yabu pushed open the office door, freezing when he saw that Keito was there.

"Hikaru, are you ready?" Keito pulled out of Hikaru's hands, and he slipped once more past Yabu and out, going into the kitchen with the rest of them. Yabu and Hikaru followed only a minute later, Hikaru having slipped on a shirt. Yabu looked flustered; Keito guessed Hikaru had told him that the plan had changed. Hikaru stood by the head of the table, and everyone turned their attention to him.

"Recently there's been a development." Hikaru announced. "For personal reasons—" Suddenly there was a loud, incessant knocking on their front door. Everyone was bewildered by it, and for a moment they all shifted their attention, staring at it. Hikaru tried again. "For personal reasons, Shoon is going to—" the knocking started again, but this time Hikaru pushed on, raising his voice. "—be moving in with us. The move will happen tomorrow." The knocking stopped, and Hikaru took a breath, returning his voice to normal. "He and Keito will be moving into Yabu's room, and Yabu's going to take Keito's bunk." The person at the door began pounding on his side, and Hikaru gave up trying to talk. "Oh, just see what that fucker wants!" He declared, exasperated. Inoo got to his feet, wrenching the door open, and Shintaro barged in, looking wild. When he saw that they were all there he immediately fell into a bow, and he said

"Help! I think Ryutaro's in trouble!"


	18. Chapter 18

"What?!" Chinen bolted up from where he had been lounging in Takaki's lap. Slowly Shintaro raised himself up to his full height. Keito was amazed at the familial resemblance. Shintaro didn't look like Ryu in his face, but his figure, the way he was built, the way he held himself, his _expressions_—all of it bore such a striking resemblance to his older brother that it physically hurt to look at him, and Keito knew that it must tear Chinen apart inside just to have Shin in the room.

"Explain." Hikaru demanded, and the young boy nodded, taking a few steps so that he was with them in the kitchen.

"Yesterday was July fifteenth, my birthday." He began. Keito didn't understand what that had to do with Ryutaro, but Yabu, Daiki, and Chinen all nodded, as if realizing something important they had forgotten. "Every year on my birthday Ryu and I spend the night together celebrating. He never misses it; no matter what...even if he's hurt, or it’s not safe, he always shows up. But this year he didn't show." Shintaro looked over at Hikaru, and it struck Keito that the sixteen year old was actually taller than their leader. Without him realizing it, Shin had grown up; He was no longer the innocent, wide eyed little boy Keito had seen the first time they had met. "He would never allow himself to miss it. He wouldn't forget, either. I think something kept him from coming last night. I think he's in trouble."

"But what could keep Ryutaro from doing anything?" Inoo asked, sounding skeptical. That just made Keito anxious. Ryutaro was so strong, and so stubborn, it seemed impossible that anything could stop him when he decided to do something. This was the boy that constantly teased Daiki—_The Dragon_—for fun, the one that had dated their leader despite the taboo against it, the one who had cut off his own finger, without being told to do so, as an_ apology_. He was tough and strong willed, so what could keep him from doing anything he wanted?

"The Wakaba!" Chinen exclaimed, standing up and slamming his fist on the table, his usually cute face terrifying and full of anger. "If they heard about our relationship they'd be interested in him. I'll bet those fuckers found out he'd run off and ambushed him! We're raiding them to get him back! Everyone—"

"Oi!" Yuto yelled, glaring across the table at Chinen. "You don't get to make this decision. It's not your job anymore." Chinen looked furious, but he sent a wide eyed glance up at Hikaru, obviously apologetic. Hikaru was frowning, and with a pointed look to Chinen the small man sank back into Takaki's lap, looking utterly defeated. There was a moment of silence, the tension palpable as everyone waited to see how Hikaru would react, to hear what he had to say. When he did speak his voice was quiet, calm and controlled.

"Thank you Yuto." He paused, and Yuto nodded. "Yet, in all fairness, I do believe it is about time we attacked the Wakaba. I've been wanting to retaliate for their last raid for a while, but with everything that has been happening, and with some of you not quite recovered I've been figuring it could wait. That being said, if there is any chance Ryutaro is being held hostage then we cannot stand idly by and let him be imprisoned or hurt." He took a sweeping glance of all of their faces, judging how they felt. "So we will attack. Tonight, as soon as possible." He turned to Chinen. "See me in my office after this." He pointed to Yabu and Inoo. "After him I need to talk to you two. We can devise a strategy. Everyone else should be on standby for instructions, understood?" There was a chorus of _'yes sir'_s, and Shintaro interjected.

"Kumi-cho, I'd like to offer up myself and my boys to help, if you'll permit it. If there's any chance my brother's there, I want to do something about it." Hikaru nodded at once, and Shintaro nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Wait here, you'll join us in the strategy meeting." Hikaru decided. Everyone began to disperse, when Hikaru called out "Oh, and Keito, call Shoon and tell him he'll be moving in tomorrow, and update him on what we're doing." Keito nodded.

"Of course, Kumi-cho." With that everyone went their separate ways in the house, and Keito went to their only phone, dialing Shoon's number. His boyfriend picked up on the third ring; he obviously had been sleeping, his voice groggy when he spoke.

"Keito?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What's up?" Shoon asked.

"We just finished the meeting."

"Meeting? What were you meeting about?" To Keito's horror, Shoon sounded sincerely confused.

"The meeting! The one where we tell everyone you're moving in with us."

"Moving in with...oh! Right! That, yes. Sorry." Shoon did sound as if he remembered, but Keito was still very concerned.

"Shoon, are you okay?" His question was met with static, the silence reminding him; Shoon was not okay. He'd never be okay again. "Sorry. Stupid question."

"So, how'd the meeting go?" Shoon asked, disregarding Keito's apology. Keito decided to just go with it.

"It was brief. Hikaru barely had time to tell everyone what was going on before we were interrupted."

"Interrupted?"

"Yeah, Shintaro came by. He thinks Ryu's being held captive by the Wakaba. We're raiding their base tonight; there's going to be a strategy meeting soon."

"Okay."

"Hikaru said we're still moving you in tomorrow."

"Okay." Shoon fell silent for a moment. "Hey, when are you guys leaving for the raid?"

"Um...not sure. Tonight?"

"Okay. Well it sounds like it's busy over there, so I'll let you go. I love you." Keito clutched at the phone a little tighter at those words, his heart pounding in his chest. Not that he'd admit that to anyone.

"I love you too."

"Tell Hikaru I'll be there by lunchtime." Shoon said, before hanging up.

"Hold on, what?" He waited, listening to the dead end. "Shit!" Shoon was planning on fighting with them tonight. There was no way in hell that was a good idea. After the last seizure his boyfriend's mobility had been deteriorating rapidly, which had been a big factor in why Keito was so anxious to have him move in. Shoon couldn't run the length of their street and back now; hell, Keito wasn't sure if he could make it from his apartment to their place properly in his own, especially with the way he had sounded on the phone. He was already worse than he was two days ago. There was no way Shoon could get in a fight and come out on top. He dialed again, but was met with silence. He tried a third time, but Shoon wouldn't pick up. What the hell was he supposed to do?

"Yabu—" Yabu would know what to do. He hung up the receiver, hurrying into the living room where Yabu was sitting with Inoo and Shintaro, waiting for their meeting. He went around the back of the couch, tapping lightly on his older housemates shoulder. Unfortunately for him, at that moment the door to Hikaru's office swung open, and Chinen exited, the ones that had been waiting getting to their feet. Shit. Now what? Shoon was on his way over, and—

"Chinen, tell them I'll be back as soon as I can! There's something I have to do. I'm sorry!" Keito bowed quickly to his former leader, bolting for the door, and running. It was bright out, and he knew he must look crazy to anyone he passed by as he ran through the streets, but he searched frantically and a little over halfway there he found him. Shoon was walking with his body held upright, his face forward, but his breathing was labored, and he had one arm extended a bit, toward the outer walls of the buildings he passed, as if in preparation for collapse.

"Shoon!" Keito yelled, and the ex-lawyer screwed his face up, putting one hand to his head, and when he looked up at Keito he was glaring.

"Really? You of all people are going to yell?" Keito was taken aback.

"Sorry." He blushed in embarrassment, and Shoon sighed.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap, it's just...migraines. They've been really bad recently. It's not your fault." Keito processed that, and he scooped the older man up in his arms, hugging him tightly, burying his face in the crook of Shoon's neck, smelling the calming scent of his boyfriend's shampoo. He took a deep, rattling breath.

"I'm sorry." He murmured. He pulled away, leaving one arm around Shoon's lower back, for support. "Let's go home."

"Yes; I don't want to miss the strategy meeting." Shoon declared, sounding very determined, but his whole body sagged to the left a bit, and he was actively leaning on Keito as they walked. A few times Keito nearly offered to carry him, but he'd glance over at Shoon's face, and see the pride and determination in his eyes, and he would close his mouth, saying nothing. Due to this however, it took a very long time to get back to the house. Once they had managed to arrive, Shoon collapsed into the couch, looking exhausted. Yuto was waiting for them, concern radiating from his lanky body. Yuto caught Keito by the shoulder.

"What's going on?" Yuto's hand was a comfort, and Keito had to fight the urge to come clean, and tell Yuto everything.

"He wants to fight with us." Was all Keito managed to get out. Yuto frowned, glancing over at Shoon.

"Can he fight?" His words were skeptical. Keito followed his line of sight, watching as Shoon's eyelids drooped in weariness.

"I do not think so." He muttered, and he went to his boyfriend's side, gently scooting him so that he lay along the couch, and within moments he was fast asleep. Keito turned back to Yuto.

"What's the Kumi-cho's plan?"

"I don't know. He sent Shintaro out to get his posse, and when they get back we'll have the meeting." Oh. Good, he hadn't missed it. He and Yuto sat down side by side on the other couch in preparation for the eminent gathering.

"D'you think Ryutaro's actually there?" Yuto asked. Keito shrugged. He had no clue. "I hope he's there." Yuto said. "'Cause then we can bring the jerk back home." He looked hopeful, and Keito couldn't help but smile. Only Yuto could be so optimistic about a potential hostage situation.

"But what if he's hurt?" Keito couldn't help but ask. He'd seen the pictures of Yamada, after being held captive by those bastards. Of course, it wasn't the same circumstances by any means, but there was still a high chance that if Ryutaro was there, that he'd be injured. That was the main thing Keito was concerned about. Yuto however, stayed positive.

"Then we'll just have to fix him. He can always be put back together, as long as he's with his family." Yuto nodded to where Shoon was asleep on the other couch. "That's why he's moving in, right? So that we can help him?" Keito glanced over to look at Shoon, taking in the curve of his body on the cushions, his mop of brown hair splayed out on the arm of the couch, his face peaceful. He wished it were as simple as Yuto made it out to be. As he thought this, the constant depression that had settled over him the night he'd found out about the cancer seemed to weigh down on his body even heavier than usual.

"Yeah." He managed to say. "That's why." Yuto slung a lanky arm across Keito's shoulders, scooting in until their thighs touched. He could see that Keito wasn't happy.

"Don't worry." He said, smiling a warm smile. "We'll help you. I'll always help you. It's going to be alright. We'll fix whatever's wrong him." Keito smiled back, grateful for Yuto's words.

"Thank you." He murmured, and Yuto beamed.

It was then that there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Shin!" Yuto announced, and Keito got to his feet, pulling the door open. Sure enough it was Shintaro, a pack of five boys around him. As soon as they saw Keito they all bowed, and silently Keito pulled the door open wide, gesturing for them to enter. They all stepped over the doorstep, and he assessed them silently as they passed. They were all dressed in suits, but the clothes obviously weren't something they were comfortable in, and many of them were ill fitting; just a bit short at the ankle, or too wide in the shoulders.

There was a sense of camaraderie in these kids, they way they moved around each other, even without speaking he could tell that they not only liked each other; they were comfortable around each other. When he realized that he felt more welcome about bringing them in. They could be trusted, he figured to give their best; if not for the Kumi, then for each other, and if Shin was their friend, then they would do all that they could to return his brother to him.

The boys all stood around in the living room, a few of them looking wide eyed at Shoon—whispering to each other about him, their famous ex-Kumi-cho—looking rather uncomfortable with being there. But after a moment Hikaru emerged from his office, calling all of the others down into the kitchen; the only room suitable to have a meeting with fifteen participants. Shoon was still fast asleep on the couch; the proceedings not disturbing him in the slightest. As everyone gathered, Hikaru briefly greeted all of Shintaro's boys. It was apparent the he already knew them, calling them all by name and thanking them for coming. Once he completed that he turned his attentions to Keito.

"What's Shoon doing here?" He asked, frowning. Keito was embarrassed.

"Sorry. He said he wanted to fight." Hikaru's frown only grew larger.

"No." Keito nodded. Hikaru looked over to where Shoon was still lying on the couch, his frown lines being replaced by worry lines. "Hopefully he'll just sleep until we've gone. I don't feel like fucking arguing with him about that right now."

They all sat or stood around the table, Keito sticking by Yuto's side. Shintaro's group stuck together as well, all of them standing at the far end of the table, where Yabu usually sat for meals. To Keito's surprise some of his housemates seemed to know them already. Yabu gave the boys all nods of welcome, and Daiki and Inoo said a few greetings. Even Takaki clapped a couple of the boys on the back, ruffling their hair in a casual way. Hikaru took his place at the head of the table, a few pages in his hands, and the meeting commenced, everyone quieting to hear what he had to say.

"So, I assume you all know who all of us are." Hikaru started, speaking to the underlings. They all nodded. Keito was surprised. He still wasn't used to being known. He'd never met these kids. "But some of us might not know you. Introduce yourselves." Shintaro went first, and he raised his hand in a casual way, saying

"I'm Shintaro Morimoto, you all know me." The boy to his left went next, and so on and so on until Keito knew all of the boys’ names. There was Hokuto Matsumura, a tall, handsome, rather stoic boy. He seemed to be Shin's right hand man. There was Tanaka Juri, a smiling, brown haired boy that introduced himself as the younger brother of Chiba's Tanaka _'Scarface' _Koki, whoever the hell that was. Keito thought Juri reminded him a little bit of Yuto. The next boy was beautiful, his pale skin and wide eyes held a slightly feminine touch, and when he introduced himself as Taiga Kyomoto, his voice was rather soft. Keito expressed this opinion to Yuto, and his friend giggled, whispering back

"You're even more soft spoken than he is, Keito." Taiga glared a bit at them, and embarrassed and apologetic, Keito hastily shut up. Yuto however, glared back and Taiga looked away, Yuto grinning in triumph. The last two to go were Jessie Lewis, a tall half-Japanese boy, and Yugo Kouchi. They stood side by side, and they were holding hands, and it was apparent after seeing the way Yugo looked at the other boy that they were more than just friends.


	19. Chapter 19

Once the introductions were complete, Hikaru began explaining their strategy for the evening. In order to try and cover as much ground as possible in the shortest amount of time they were going to split up into five groups of three each, surrounding the building and searching for Ryutaro. He said that their goal was to cover every inch of the Wakaba's base, ensuring that if Ryu was there then he would be found. They were to meet at the edge of their territory afterward, not allowing anyone to be left behind. He cleared up any questions and then assigned their groups.

Keito was put into a group with Hikaru and Juri, and he noted that the two boys holding hands—Yugo and Jessie—were put into the same group. They were paired up with Yamada, and after the meeting was over he caught the three of them all talking, chatting amiably in the kitchen, resting their hips against the counter. Yamada was shorter than both of the boys. Keito himself was approached by Juri after the meeting ended, the younger boy greeting him with toothy smile and offering a tan hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Prince." Keito shook Juri's hand, saying

"There's no need to call me that." Juri raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"No, I must insist!" He leaned in, lowering his voice so that no one else could hear. "It's fun!" He said, eyes twinkling. Keito smiled in amusement. This kid was a lot like Yuto. It was good. Keito was about to ask Juri a polite question about his life when Yabu came over, putting a hand on Keito's shoulder.

"Keito, let’s move Shoon up into your new room. If he's going to sleep he should sleep on a real bed." Yabu said, and Keito turned away from Juri, and together he and Yabu woke Shoon. At first he was very disoriented, but they pulled him to his feet, and Keito helped him up the stairs, settling him into the large bed that he supposed was now their own. Shoon never did fully wake up during the whole process, and aside from a few grumbles about his headache, and a few questions about where he was, he had no problem falling straight back asleep once his head hit the pillow. Keito gave him a quick kiss, brushing his bangs out of his eyes before returning back downstairs, grateful that Shoon wasn't trying to join in the preparations.

For the next few hours food was served constantly, lunch and dinner stretching into one long meal. Yabu checked over the medical supplies, sending people out to the stores to stock up on anything he felt they didn't have quite enough of. There was a weapons check as well, Yamada sharpening his katana, and showing it off a bit to some of the underling boys. Hikaru provided anyone that wanted one with a knife, and Daiki showed off his legendary tattoo. The underlings all referred to Keito as _Prince,_ and they used Daiki's nickname with him, always calling him_ Dragon,_ and always calling Hikaru _Kumi-cho._ Everyone else was referred to politely by their last name or by _'Aniki'._

Slowly everyone changed into their suits, the outfits, black and white and fitted, sobered up the mood, and once everyone was ready they all stepped out into the world, weapons clutched in hands or tucked away in pockets, and the group automatically broke up into its assigned sections in preparation. Keito went up to the front with Hikaru, Juri falling into step next to him as the sun set. His stomach buzzed with a nervous energy. Juri was practically bouncing with anticipation next to him, and Keito looked to Hikaru to calm him down. His leader had his hands in his pockets as he walked, and he glanced over at Keito, looking him up and down, assessing him. He seemed to understand.

"Keito, calm down. Forget about everything that's bothering you right now. Shoon's fine, don't worry about him. You can trust Juri here to have your back. We've fought together countless times. You're not going to succeed unless you focus on the job. I'm not going to let you fucking get yourself hurt because you're not one-hundred percent committed. Ryutaro, that little bastard, might be counting on us. Don't let him down. Yeah?" Keito nodded. That was exactly what he needed to hear.

"Yeah. Thanks Kumi-cho." Hikaru nodded, and they lapsed back into silence until the Wakaba's base came into view, the huge concrete building shining in the moonlight. Juri's eyes grew wide.

"Shit!" The teenager mumbled, staring at the structure, and Keito looked over at him.

"We're taking the north-east corner." Hikaru whispered, and together they slunk through surrounding buildings, the rest of their group scattering into the night shadows. Hikaru led them around, nearly completely to the back of the building, drawing his knife from his pocket and flicking it open as they went. From off in the distance there was a yell, a ferocious roar that Keito recognized as Daiki's voice, and like ants Wakaba spilled from the compound.

They took that as their cue to attack, Keito rushing the building with Juri and Hikaru. Juri was fast, getting there first, and he kicked his first opponent hard, knocking the person down. He kept running, throwing himself at the next person. Keito stopped, bending down and punching the man Juri had kicked in the face, hearing his skull slam into the ground, satisfied when he didn't move to get back up. They made a dash for the door, Juri getting there first and yanking it open, holding it for Hikaru and Keito to pass through before going in himself.

They were in a hallway, fluorescent lights illuminating the concrete walls. Keito's eyes immediately scanned the place, looking for any people. It was strange, because despite that one man, there were no more. There was just blank hall stretching out in front of them, metal doors on either side.

"Let's go." Hikaru said. "Check them all." They burst through the first door, and it was empty, save for some metal bunk beds, two sets lined up neatly. The next three rooms were the same. Keito was beginning to grow uneasy. Not only had they not found Ryutaro, they hadn't found anyone else. Where the fuck was everyone?

"I think the stupid bastards were all drawn to the front when Daiki yelled." Hikaru offered, but as if in response to that there was a shriek from up ahead, and they turned to corner to see a tall man holding Juri, a knife to the teenagers throat. Keito froze, but Hikaru reacted, throwing his knife at the man, the blade burying itself into his thigh. Hikaru ran forward, as the man began to collapse, punching him as he went down, twisting the man's knife out of his grip and taking his own knife from his flesh, whipping it up his leg as he removed it, slicing a long gash up to the man's hip. The man screamed in pain, and Juri kicked at his head, knocking him out and silencing him.

Unfortunately, his scream alerted anyone in the vicinity to their presence, and Keito heard feet pounding down the hall coming closer. He braced himself, lunging at the first person he saw. He tackled the guy, pinning him to the wall, and he head butted his enemy, the action jarring. His opponent however, got the worse end of the deal, his skull being rammed back into the concrete wall, and Keito raised a knee, slamming it into his ribcage, taking a step back as the man doubled over to punch him, hooking him on the chin and up, knocking him out. Juri had been fighting a girl, and he shoved her, sending her stumbling Keito's direction, and he kicked out as hard as he could, slamming into her spine. Juri swung a well aimed punch at her throat, and she too went down. It seemed she had managed to hit him however, because he had a split lip. Keito turned to see Hikaru finishing off a large, overweight man, another body already at his feet.

They continued down the hall, checking rooms, but to no avail. Occasionally they'd run into an enemy or two, but for the most part they were alone. Finally, they got to the end of their hallway, and found themselves in a large room. This place, it seemed, was where any opponents were coming from. There were tens of bodies in that space, the room dimly lit, and in the mass Keito saw Yamada, his sword glinting in the lamplight as he spun and slashed. Nearby there were Jessie and Yugo, the two teenagers fighting back to back. The way they fought was unlike any Keito had ever seen. The two moved as one body, in a perfect rhythm, ducking and swaying in unison, and as Keito watched they gripped hands, using the force to switch positions, and in moments their attackers were all out of commission, and they locked eyes, nodding to each other—a confirmation that they were fine—and threw themselves seamlessly into the next group.

Keito however, was caught by surprise, Juri yelling

"Prince!" He didn't give enough warning however, a body ramming into Keito, knocking him into the wall. He felt the breath leave his body for a moment, but Hikaru pulled the man off of him, slamming him into the ground. Keito thanked him, and swung his fist, hitting another Wakaba member that had thrown himself at Hikaru, knocking the man back. He kicked out, but he missed, and the man swung at him, the knife he was holding cutting into Keito's forearm. The blade was a little dull, and it tore through his flesh, dragging at the skin and muscle. It stung, the pain sharp and biting, and Keito cursed, slugging the man in the ribs. The guy stumbled backward, into Yamada's path, and within seconds Yamada had him on the floor. Yamada looked over, catching sight of them, and he yelled

"He's here! I heard them talking—" he was cut off by an enemy that got a little too close for comfort, and he paused in his words, slashing the boy down the chest and kicking him to the floor. "Ryutaro's here somewhere!" Hope flared in Keito's chest at Yamada's words, but he was pulled back into the fighting instantaneously, and he lost track of Hikaru and Juri. He had just gotten a kid on the ground, kicking him hard in the ribs when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he spun about, fist hard, but Hikaru blocked it, anticipating the attack.

"They've got it covered! C'mon!" Hikaru yelled, and together they fought their way to the other end of the room, and Hikaru must have already sent Juri ahead, because there were a few moaning, nearly unconscious Wakaba members already on the floor of the hallway, and Hikaru ran down to the end, turning the corner without checking any of the doors. Keito followed, taking in Hikaru's condition. He had a gash on his forehead, and although it wasn't that long, or that deep, it was bleeding quite a bit, and Hikaru brushed his bangs out of his eyes, smearing the blood down his face, getting it on his fingers. Despite the head injury, he seemed fine, and Keito was relieved.

They turned the corner and met up with Juri, the lanky teen slamming a guy's head into the wall. He'd lost his suit jacket, his white dress shirt unbuttoned and grimy, his slim, lanky form a reminder that he was still a kid that had room to grow. When he looked up and saw them however, a smile grew on his face. He let the guy fall to the floor, stepping over his limp body to greet them.

"Kumi-cho, I think we're on the right track. There've been more and more of these bastards the farther I've been, and they seem to have posts, waiting in specific locations, like they've been given orders." Juri told them, and Hikaru nodded, adjusting the grip he had on his knife. They all passed by the man on the floor, rounding another corner where sure enough a little ways down the hall there was a duo of Wakaba members standing around, waiting. These ones Keito recognized. He'd seen them countless times in battle—Sato Takeru and Miura Haruma.

Takeru spotted them first, and without hesitation he drew a small sword from his belt, and he ran at them. Keito jumped to meet him, ducking under the sweep of his blade and kicking out, catching his opponent in the knee. The kick sent Keito off balance, and he hit the floor, Takeru kicking him hard in the ribs. Pain shot though his chest, but he wrapped himself around the leg, jerking it and pulling Takeru off center. The man would have fallen but he rammed the handle of his sword into the ground to steady himself, glaring down at Keito. It was then that Juri slammed both fists down on the back of Takeru's head, Keito scrambling out of the way as the man fell.

Juri took a step, half over their opponent's body to help Keito up, but he had miscalculated how hurt the man was, and Takeru flailed his sword up, slicing a huge gash all the way up Juri's nearest leg, catching a bit on his lower arm as well. The teen yelped in shock and pain, and Keito felt a jolt of panic run through him. He scrambled to his feet as Juri began to crumple in on himself, catching the underling by his shoulder and holding him upright, slamming a foot down hard into Sato Takeru's ribs a few times, kicking his overgrown knife away.

"Shit—it hurts." Juri cursed, tears of pain leaking from his eyes as blood rushed from his lacerations, and Keito frowned. Juri needed to get out of here.

"Hikaru!" He yelled, and he looked over to see his leader still in hand to hand combat with Miura Haruma. Slowly he set Juri down, so that he was leaning his weight on the wall, instead of Keito holding him up, and he caught Miura Haruma's arms, holding him still for Hikaru to hit until the Wakaba member was bloodied and nearly unconscious. Hikaru took a deep breath, sweat and blood all over him, and he nodded to Keito appreciatively.

"Thanks." Keito disregarded Hikaru's words, instead pointing to Juri.

"We have to get him out of here." A small pool of blood was forming at Juri's feet, running down his arm and dripping from his pant leg. Hikaru nodded. He hesitated for a moment, obviously eager to move forward, not willing to give up the search for Ryutaro, but after a moment he picked up his knife from where he must have dropped it while fighting Miura and shoved it in his pocket, grabbing Juri and slinging the teen's body over his shoulder.

"Let's go." Hikaru said, and they reversed their course, backtracking. They hadn't gone far however, when they ran into Takaki, Yuto, and Shintaro. When they saw Keito's group they called out, running over. The three all seemed to be okay; Takaki's face was bruised, and Shin had a gash running along one of his collar bones, but aside from that the rest of the blood they had on them seemed to be other people's. Yuto sent Keito a questioning glance, eyes lingering on the long cut on his inner arm, but Keito nodded. He was okay. Both Takaki and Shintaro however, were hovering over Hikaru, and more specifically, Juri's form on Hikaru's shoulder.

"We were on the right track, but this little brat got himself hurt. We think Ryutaro's that way—" Hikaru jerked his thumb back the way they'd come. "—but we need to get him out of here. He needs to get back to the house." Takaki reached for Juri immediately, saying

"I'll take him." He met Hikaru's eyes. "You're stronger than me anyway. We need to send our strongest out to get Ryu." Hikaru nodded, and gently Juri was transferred into Takaki's arms. Once that task was completed, Hikaru turned to the rest of them.

"Yuto, Shintaro, come with me. Keito, I need you to go back with Takaki. He's going to be an easy target; you'll have to protect him, so that he can get Juri back home." Keito nodded. He wasn't sure he liked separating from the rest of them, he too wanted to find Ryutaro, but this was important. "Takaki, don't wait at the meeting place, just take Juri straight home." Takaki nodded, gripping the bleeding boy tight. Hikaru turned his attention to Shin and Yuto. "Let's go." Yuto put a quick, comforting hand on Keito's shoulder, and them the three of them ran off down the hallway, leaving Keito standing there with Takaki.


	20. Chapter 20

Keito looked over at Takaki, taking his butterfly knife from his pocket and flicking it open.

"C'mon, the way we got in was pretty quiet." He said, and he took the lead, always making sure Takaki was keeping up, afraid of running into the enemy. Yet, as he'd said, the way he'd originally come in the compound was pretty empty, and after running into a few Wakaba underlings they had a clear shot out of the building and into the night. From there Takaki ran into the shadows, and Keito led him back to the edge of their own territory. Once there they finally stopped, breathing hard from the running, and Takaki said

"Keito, I can make it on my own from here. Go back and fight with the others." Keito nodded, his adrenaline rushing through his veins, and he turned on his heel, running back through Wakaba territory and instead of creeping around he rushed into the first brawl he found. It was out in the front of the building, and in the moonlight it was clear to see that this was where the biggest number of people was. It was a battlefield, and he jumped in, and for a while it was a frenzy of unfamiliar bodies, and he got hit quite a few times, kicks and punches coming from all sides.

Then he ran into Taiga, the boy ferociously lunging at an enemy, aiming a punch straight at the guys throat, kicking his legs out from under him and slamming his foot down on the man's chest in one fell swoop. Taiga looked up to see Keito, and he nodded in acknowledgement. They fought together for a while side by side, not speaking, but soon they were separated in the mass of bodies. Keito spotted Daiki and Inoo both in the crowd, but his housemates were too far away to reach, and he just continued to fight, slowly but surely getting closer and closer to the building.

He was only a few feet from the door when it opened, Chinen and Hokuto bursting out, Yabu's limp form suspended between the two of them.

"We're retreating!" Chinen declared. "Yamada said we've got Ryu. We're falling back to the meeting place!" Keito nodded, and he said

"Daiki and Inoo are here somewhere." Chinen nodded, saying

"I'll tell them!" and he slipped out from under Yabu, wordlessly gesturing for Keito to take his place. Keito did, wrapping an arm around Yabu, slinging him halfway over his shoulder. Hokuto's breathing was ragged next to him, and Keito pulled Yabu away from the underling, taking him completely onto his own shoulders. Hokuto clutched at his stomach, his face screwed up in pain, and Keito frowned. Hokuto had already been hurt. The teen caught his worried gaze and he muttered

"It's my ribs." Keito nodded, understanding immediately. He too had broken his ribs before. It was painful.

"Can you run?" He asked, and after a moments consideration the underling shrugged.

"I can try." They set off at the fastest pace they could, skirting the fighting at what was honestly more of a slow jog than running, and they made it back to the designated meeting place. They were the first ones there, but it was only seconds before Chinen, Taiga, Daiki, and Inoo joined them. All four of them looked to be okay, no major injuries that Keito could tell, and Taiga immediately went to Hokuto's side, slinging an arm around his waist for support.

"What happened to Yabu?!" Inoo asked, and Keito was glad, concerned about his housemate. Chinen explained.

"He got his head slammed into a wall a few times." Ouch. Keito took Yabu's dangling wrist in his hand, checking his pulse. He was relieved when he felt one, strong and regular. He was just releasing his grip on Yabu's arm when Jessie and Yugo ran up, the two boys' chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. As soon as Daiki saw them he frowned, barking sharply

"Where's Ryouske?! He was supposed to be with you!" In between breaths, Jessie answered.

"He's helping with Morimoto-san. Don't worry, he's okay." Daiki frowned, opening his mouth to ask more questions, but Jessie's attention was suddenly drawn away when Yugo grabbed him by his lapels, pulling him in for a hot kiss. Keito blushed a bit, looking away, but neither one of the teens seemed to be embarrassed, Jessie pulling Yugo closer, and they only broke apart when Taiga yelled at them, swearing that they were _'fucking rabbits'_ and telling them to _'go do that in the privacy of their own fucking room'._

It was during this exchange that Yuto showed up, a cut down the side of his neck, his clothes ripped, looking considerably more tired than he had when Keito had left him. Immediately behind him was a group, Yamada and Shintaro both supporting a very bruised and bloody Ryutaro, and despite his state Keito's heart leapt with excitement when he saw his youngest housemate. Chinen stared, unable to take his eyes off of his runaway boyfriend. Behind them was Hikaru, the last person they'd been waiting on, and silently they all returned back to the house, all of them dragging their feet, the weary helping the injured, and soon they made it up the stairs, and over their threshold.

They burst through the front door, and Keito's eyes swept the area. Juri had been stripped down to his underwear, his left leg had innumerable stitches all down it, and he was standing on one foot, gripping the back of a chair for balance as he was being wrapped in gauze by Takaki. Shoon was at the sink, washing his hands, but when they entered he whipped around, flicking the faucet off and rushing around the table to help them.

"Who's worst?" He asked, but as he did he was already reaching for Yabu's limp form, and Keito slowly set his older housemate down, Shoon cradling his head as they placed him on the kitchen table.

"Hikaru needs—" Yamada started, but Hikaru cut him off.

"I'm fine. Help everyone else."

"Ryu looks pretty bad—and this brat's busted his ribs." Daiki announced, gesturing to Hokuto. Shoon nodded.

"Get Ryutaro up here, we'll have to scoot Yabu a bit to make room." He turned to Taiga, who was now practically holding Hokuto up. "You! Put him in a chair, take off his clothes. _Gently!_ We need to get to his torso." Taiga nodded, and Keito gently pulled Yabu over to the edge of the table, leaving as much room as possible for Ryutaro. Yamada and Shintaro lifted him up, and as they moved him a moan escaped his lips. So he was conscious then. Good. Yuto skirted around the edge of the table, dragging Chinen with him, saying

"We'll do Yabu. We're both fine, so we can help. Chinen says he hit his head, right?" The littler boy nodded, and Shoon looked relieved, turning his attentions to Ryutaro. Keito stepped out of their way, looking around to see where he could be useful. He needed a task, something to keep his mind off of the way his whole body throbbed, his forearm burning and stinging with pain. Both Yamada and Shintaro were covered in blood, and as Keito looked around he realized—now that they were in proper lighting—that they all were. So much so in fact that you wouldn't really be able to tell if they were hurt or if it was enemies' blood. He was about to ask for a task when Takaki called over to him

"Oi, Keito! Can you help Juri? I'm done with him, so we need to get the brat out of the way." Keito spun around, slinging an arm around the teenage boy’s waist, and Juri smiled weakly at him, leaning into his side.

"Hey, Prince." His voice was weak, but joking and light, and Keito couldn't help but smile a bit at the underling.

"How 'ya doin'?" He asked, and Juri chuckled a bit, brushing off the question, but when they made to walk a tear of pain ran down his cheek. Poor kid.

"We're just going to the stairs, how about that? You can sit there, okay?" He offered, pointing over to the steps. Juri could sit a few steps up, his leg extended, without being in the way. The underling nodded, and together they slowly but surely made their way over, past where Taiga was unbuttoning Hokuto's dress shirt. Slowly Keito helped the kid situate himself on the stairs, making sure he was okay before turning away.

Shintaro had taken Juri's place, sitting in the chair his companion had been propping himself up with, and Takaki was pulling out a splint and gauze, Jessie helping Shin remove his clothes. It seemed that Shin had hurt his wrist. Inoo and Shoon were gently wiping the grime and blood from Ryutaro's body, examining him to try and figure out what it was exactly that they could do. Yuto and Chinen were still bandaging Yabu's head, Yugo hovering around them, holding tape and scissors. Daiki was hovering over Yamada, the older man trying to examine his boyfriend to assure himself that Yamada was fine, but Yamada kept swatting his hands away, looking exhausted and annoyed. Everyone seemed okay, or at the very least occupied, until he spotted Hikaru. Their leader was slumped against the wall next to the door; he was breathing hard, his eyelids heavy. Keito made his way over, worry enveloping him. Something was very wrong.

"Kumi-cho!" He called, getting Hikaru's attention. Hikaru lifted his head from the wall, the gash on his forehead tacky with drying blood, and he looked over at him.

"Hey Keito."

"You look like shit." Keito said gently, hovering, not sure where Hikaru was hurt, not wanting to aggravate any injuries. Hikaru shook his head.

"I'm fine." He announced, before his knees gave out, and he crumpled to the floor, slamming into Keito on his way down. Keito threw his arms around his leader, the older man heavy, trying to hold him up, and awkwardly he half-dragged half-carried him to a patch of floor that wasn't going to be in everyone else's way, laying Hikaru down.

"Where are you hurt?" He asked, kneeling beside him and Hikaru swatted him away.

"I'm fi—" He paused, catching Keito's eye, and they stared at each other for a moment. There had never been any posturing when it came to the two of them; Keito was sick of the lying. Finally Hikaru dropped the bullshit tough guy act. "My chest. My back. My left thigh and the front of my right shin probably all need stitches. Oh, and my right shoulder." _Fuck._ Keito stared down at him in disbelief. How had he managed to stay standing that long? Hikaru sighed, shutting his eyes, and Keito got to work, stripping Hikaru down as best he could before giving up on preserving his housemate's clothes, taking out his knife and cutting the pants and shirt off of him. The only things he ended up saving were the tie, belt, shoes and socks, the rest destroyed. They were the least of his worries.

Hikaru looked like he'd been attacked by a plane propeller. His wounds were all deep, long lacerations, running along his chest, diagonally down one leg, finishing on the other. He had one over the top of his right shoulder that trailed halfway down his back, crossing with another slash. Keito grimaced at the gore, shocked by Hikaru's state. He stood, saying rather desperately

"Help." Yamada and Daiki, who looked like they were just about to get into a fully fledged argument, heard him, and Yamada pulled away from his boyfriend, going over to Keito, seeing Hikaru and immediately understanding.

"I'll get some supplies." He offered. "You grab a washcloth and water. We need to clean his wounds before we can stitch him up." Keito nodded, running to the sink and grabbing the things Yamada had requested. Both Yamada and Daiki had gotten supplies, Daiki grabbing a sewing kit while Yamada had gotten the general first aid. They seemed to have forgotten their argument, and they worked side by side, Keito cleaning the wounds, his two housemates coming along right behind him, sewing Hikaru's flesh back together, each of them taking a gash, ignoring any sounds of pain Hikaru let past his lips. Keito himself did no stitching. He'd watched carefully plenty of times, but he wasn't confident in his skills with a needle, and he didn't think now was the best time to practice.

Once the lashes had been sewn back together they all got to work bandaging the wounds. Hikaru tried to help, propping himself up on his elbows for a few minutes while they wrapped up halves of each of his legs, up his torso and shoulders, and all the way down his right bicep to his elbow. It took time, but after sticking a band-aid to the cut on his forehead he was finally taken care of. They sat around their leader, examining their work.

"You look like a fucking mummy." Daiki told him. Hikaru didn't respond. He looked exhausted. Yamada and Daiki tackled the task of getting Hikaru to bed, and Keito cleaned up the supplies, checking in with everyone else. Shintaro and Hokuto had joined Juri on the stairs, their wounds bandaged up. Yabu was no longer on the kitchen table, and Yuto was sitting in a chair, letting Takaki tend to the long cut trailing down his neck. Chinen, Inoo, and Shoon were all around Ryutaro, but they were calm, and they seemed to have finished, talking quietly as they packed up the gauze and first aid supplies that had been strewn across the table.

At first Keito thought Ryu was asleep, but then the younger boy opened his eyes, reaching out to Chinen. Chinen climbed up onto the table with him, taking his hand and clutching it to his chest, leaning in so that their faces were millimeters apart. Chinen was talking, but Keito couldn't make out the words, and as he talked tears rolled down his cheeks. But then for the first time in months Chinen smiled; his whole face lighting up with it, and Keito didn't think he had ever seen Chinen look as happy as he did right at that moment, reunited with Ryutaro.

It was awe inspiring, and Keito felt it was very personal, so he looked away, his eyes instead catching on Ryutaro's other hand. The nub where the end of the teenage boy's pinky used to be looked disgusting, bright red and purple and raw, the whole end a mess of scar tissue and tight skin, cutting off right at the knuckle. It looked painful, and Keito cringed, feeling a little nauseous. It was then that Yuto stood, catching his attention and waving him over. Keito joined him, and Yuto wordlessly forced him into a chair, taking the supplies he had been holding and saying

"It's your turn to get fixed up. You're going to sit here and take it, okay?" Yuto looked concerned, his tone not allowing for argument, so Keito didn't protest, nodding silently. It was Takaki that drew up a chair next to him, saying

"Yuto said you've got a nice cut on your arm." Keito nodded. He silently slipped off his suit jacket and dress shirt, suddenly feeling exhausted. Now that he let himself sit, now that his only job was to exist, his aches and pains all seemed to be vying for his attention. His ribs ached, his shoulders were heavy, and his head pounded, but worst of all was his arm, and when he pulled his shirt off he saw why.


	21. Chapter 21

The cut ran along his inner arm, hooking and curling down by his wrist. The skin around it was red and inflamed. Blood had escaped the wound, dripping down his arm in now dry, encrusted trails, and it had clotted unevenly in the gash. It looked disgusting. Takaki took his arm in his hands, examining the wound, and he frowned, glancing over at Keito.

"You didn't clean it did you? Fucking retard." Keito meekly shook his head. There had been more important things to do. Takaki sighed. "It needs stitches." He grabbed a washcloth, cleaning all of the dried blood and sweat from around the gash, and Keito felt nervous. He knew that stitches would be okay. Heck, he'd had them before, but he had never been conscious when they'd been done to him. They always looked so painful; he honestly was dreading it.

Takaki peeled all of the scabs away from the wound, cleaning it out thoroughly, and Keito set his jaw against the pain, trying not to let it show. He looked down, the wound looking fresh if not for how agitated the skin around it was, hot pink and tender. Gently, Takaki squeezed the edges of his flesh together, simulating where he was going to sew it up. That action alone stung like the burning of incessant wasps, and he yelped, yanking his arm away from Takaki's hands on reflex.

"Shit." Takaki growled, glaring at him. "Don't do that! You'll just make it worse." Keito felt ashamed of his weakness and his fear, and he took a breath, biting his bottom lip between his teeth, and he extended his arm back out toward Takaki. Takaki rolled his eyes, threading a needle and cauterizing it quickly. "Now don't be a little bitch about this." He said, taking Keito's forearm in one hand, and Keito looked away, unable to watch, as the needle pierced his skin. It was hot and burning, and while pain could be anticipated, the way it tugged, pulling at his muscle was alien, a completely new sensation, and he had to fight to keep himself from jerking away.

Even when it became too much, Takaki's grip on him was strong, forcing him to stay put, and he swallowed the whimpers, cracking his eyes open, but when he saw the needle being dragged through his flesh, it looked so _wrong_ that he only felt his panic heighten, and he turned away, looking for something, _anything _to keep his mind off of what was happening to him. To keep him from dwelling on the sensations of it, and the pain, the hot, burning, stinging pain.

The others had all been tending to Ryutaro; they were going to move him upstairs, but Shoon glanced back at him, and when he saw Keito's expression he pulled away from the group immediately, walking over to Keito and taking his free hand in his own trembling one. Keito could tell Shoon was tired; he was slow when he moved, leaning a bit on the table, but he was grateful for the support, and Shoon crouched down next to his chair, looking up at him.

"It's okay, Keito." He murmured. Keito nodded. He knew he was just being a wimp, he knew that even he himself had experienced much worse than stitches of all things. He was overreacting. He was being stupid.

"Sorry." He muttered, but Shoon just glanced over at Takaki's handiwork.

"It's okay Keito, he's already nearly done." Shoon told him. Takaki grunted in confirmation as he plunged the needle in once more. Keito flinched. _Ouch!_

"Hey, d'you remember that time when we went out to dinner at that really nice restaurant, and we decided to order wine just to try some, and it was so nasty that you accidentally spit it all over the fancy white table cloth?" Shoon said, his voice slow and soothing, his hand gripping Keito's own tightly. Keito nodded. He knew what memory Shoon was talking about. "And I remember that you were really embarrassed about it, because it was the first time we'd tried to go anywhere nice—we had been celebrating because you had been really hurt and were finally better—and you kept apologizing, and you apologized to the waiter, and you offered to clean it up, and I wanted to tell you it was fine, but I couldn't, because I couldn't stop laughing." Shoon glanced over at Keito's arm, gauging how much longer it would take for Takaki to finish. "That was the first time I think I'd ever been kicked out of anywhere just for being disruptive." Shoon said, a smile on his face. Keito felt one last tug on his arm, and Takaki announced

"Done." He stood, releasing his grip on Keito's arm, and Keito turned his head to look at it. Sure enough, he looked just as he'd expected, a row of small black thread lacing his flesh together, and he examined it closely out of curiosity. Takaki returned with gauze, and soon it was hidden by bandages, and he was declared free to go. He didn't think he'd ever been so glad to be away from Takaki.

While Keito had been getting stitched up, the underlings had been gathering, all of them standing around the bottom of the stairs, and they were openly discussing what their next course of action was. It seemed that what they all wanted—to quote Yugo—was to_ 'go home and get the fuck in bed'._ After some barely discernible murmurs of agreement, the ones without major injuries pulled those that were hurting to their feet; Shintaro pulling Hokuto onto his back to carry him, while Jessie and Yugo got on either side of Juri, holding him between the two of them.

With exhausted mumbles of_ 'good night' _and some other, less discernible farewells, they let themselves out, into the night. Keito watched them go, too exhausted to really feel anything about their leaving, and once the door was shut, and they were gone, he looked around the now amazingly quiet bottom floor. The only people left in the kitchen were himself, Shoon, and Takaki, all others already having dispersed to their bedrooms, and as he thought that thought Takaki took brushed past him, trudging up the stairs. Keito was exhausted, and there were still some things to be put away, but it wouldn't hurt to wait until tomorrow, he figured.

Shoon took his hand, and together they ascended the staircase, Shoon's grip on him tight, one hand on the wall for balance, and Keito was reminded suddenly, that Shoon was dying. A wave of depression rolled over him like an avalanche of boulders, and he nearly froze there on the staircase, but that grip, that bone crunching grip kept him moving, and the two of them, beaten and broken, made it to their new bedroom.

It didn't really feel like theirs; it was still full of Yabu's things, his sheets on the bed and his clothes in the closet, but at this point Keito didn't really give a shit about the room. He just wanted to sleep. Shoon sat on the bed, and together in silence they stripped down to nothing, because despite having slept nearly all day Shoon was looking just as tired as Keito felt. They crawled into bed, Keito's bandaged arm burning as he wrapped it around Shoon's waist, but he did it anyway, murmuring

"I love you." Into his boyfriend's ear, grateful for just how amazingly helpful Shoon had been all night, and Shoon barely had mumbled the phrase back before Keito was fast asleep, glad for the day to finally be over.

In the next few days everyone is exhausted. They all hurt, and between Ryutaro, Hikaru, and Yabu to take care of, they're all busy. Everyone's emotions are running high; Takaki's moody, Yuto's frustrated, and Chinen refuses to leave Ryutaro's bedside, even sleeping squished up next to him in his cramped twin size bed. It is revealed in the next few days that Ryutaro had spent nearly all of his time away as a hostage in the Wakaba compound, having been ambushed only a few days after his disappearance. Meanwhile, Daiki and Yamada are actually _fighting_ for the first time that Keito can really remember, and it is absolutely awful. They won't explain why, but Yamada has stopped sleeping in their room with Daiki altogether, instead curling up on the couch every night. Daiki is obviously distressed by the situation, frustrated and confused as to why Yamada is suddenly pulling away from him. They actually yell at each other a few times. Despite that, Yamada seems to be perfectly fine with his couch situation, and one evening when they're all alone Keito can't help but ask

"Are you breaking up?" Yamada looks over at him in confusion.

"What?"

"You and Daiki. You two...are you two okay?" Understanding lit Yamada's eyes, and unlike whenever Yuto had pressed him to talk about it, he didn't immediately brush the question off. He paused, thinking, and when he turned back to Keito he seemed enthusiastic.

"You're good at keeping your mouth shut. Can I show you something? You have to promise not to breathe a word about it to anyone, or I'll fucking cut off your nose." Keito was taken aback, but he nodded, and Yamada launched into an explanation, as if he had been dying to tell someone.

"I'm getting another tattoo. Here—" Yamada reached down, tugging his shirt up over his head. He turned around so that Keito could see. "I'm in the process of getting it colored, I only have one last session next week, and then it'll be done." Yamada told him. There on his back, up by his shoulder blades, were five maple leaves, curling in an unseen breeze. They were highly detailed, done in reds and oranges and yellows, and they were very pretty, but Keito didn't understand what the correlation was between the tattoo and the fighting.

"There's one leaf for every year Dai-chan and I have been together." Yamada explained, turning back around. "It's a surprise. Our anniversary is soon, and I don't want him to know beforehand." He sighed. "It's hard keeping it from him. This fucker _hurts,_ so cuddling and stuff is no good. He'd figure it out...that's why we're fighting. Don't worry; I'm just pretending to be upset with him." Keito nodded. He wasn't sure having Daiki this miserable was worth the surprise, but it was a great relief to know that the fight wasn't going to come to anything serious. One less thing for him to worry about.

And he had plenty worry about. He had Shoon to worry about. Shoon was coming undone at a rate Keito hadn't been anticipating. In just a few days he'd gone from being able to walk distances on his own to needing a helping hand more often than not. By the next week he stayed in bed nearly all of the time, asleep, only awake for maybe four hours of each day. Worse however, was talking to him. As the time passed it was harder and harder to communicate.

Even when he was awake, Shoon was easily confused, any question taking him a few minutes to figure out the answer to, even if it was as simple as what he wanted to eat. He often struggled to express himself—where he had been so eloquent before, he now would search his brain for words, unable to remember. He understood what was happening, which was probably the worst part. Shoon told Keito one evening, in a fit of frustration and hot tears, that he could feel himself falling apart. Keito knew that more than his physical impairments, his mental ones were the things Shoon was struggling the most to live with, and Keito tried to treat him like an adult, tried not to simplify his questions or slow his speech when he was talking to Shoon. He would sit quietly and repeat the question and wait for as long as Shoon needed, watching him comprehend. He wanted to offer some dignity to his boyfriend, to show him somehow, that to Keito he was still the man he had been six months before.

Shoon was no longer taking his medications—he was having trouble swallowing the pills—and he had gotten so frustrated with how difficult the simple task had become that one day Keito found all of his medicines in the bathroom trashcan. He hadn't brought it up, and Shoon didn't mention it. Keito found himself often sitting up while Shoon slept, tracing over his body with his eyes and fingertips, trying to preserve him perfectly in Keito's memory. He'd go through periods of being afraid to leave Shoon's side; of wanting to be there for every breath and every sigh, and likewise Shoon seemed to have developed a childlike dependency on him, always wanting Keito to be in sight. But then he'd also go through times when facing Shoon was a dreadful prospect, when he feared having to walk in their room and see him looking detached and struggling, because no matter what Keito did, Shoon was fighting alone.

For the most part Keito pretended that Shoon wasn't actually dying...or at least, if he was, he wasn't anywhere near breathing his last breath. He wouldn't admit just how close it seemed now; just how bad Shoon was. He threw himself into taking care of Shoon, but even when he needed help getting out of bed, or he spent five minutes trying to remember the word _'crunchy',_ Keito wouldn't admit to himself what it all meant. He wouldn't—he couldn't—think about it. He refused.

Of course, with Shoon the way he was, everyone knew something was up. They all assumed he was sick—something common like the flu or pneumonia—and they would occasionally bring him soup, visiting him when he was awake. They didn't spend long periods of time sitting in the room, they were all busy, and they assumed that before long Shoon would be up and out of bed. They didn't blame Keito for no longer eating dinner at the table, Keito spending any time Shoon was awake with him. Yabu and Hikaru both asked about him daily. Neither of them could leave their beds, but they were both very concerned, and Keito tried to give them detailed reports, tried not to sugarcoat the facts or lie for his own comfort. It was a relief to visit them; to talk to someone that knew what was happening.

It was two weeks after the raid when Keito decided Shoon needed to go to the hospital. He woke to a loud, room shaking thump, and he bolted up, eyes flying open. For a moment he searched the room in a daze for the source of the noise, but then he noticed the way the sheets lay, tugged to Shoon's side of the bed, pouring down the edge, and he leaned over, catching sight of a spastic hand, and panic gripped him, binding his chest, and he could barely get himself to look any farther, afraid to confirm his fears. But he did.

It was another seizure. Shoon must have fallen off of the mattress, and he was now trapped between the wall and the bed frame, his body jerking and flailing harshly, his eyes half open and unseeing and eerie, and it was familiar in a sickening way. Shoon's head was dangerously close to the metal bedpost, lolling on the floor as he seized, and unable to do much else, Keito hastily shoved a pillow between his boyfriend and the bed as a buffer for just in case. Keito was helpless—he knew not to try and move Shoon—and he found himself unable to tear his eyes away, and he cried in horror. He cried, watching, and waiting, and wishing for it to just be _over,_ and as he did, and the seizure lasted for three—four—five minutes, he realized that this time wasn't like last time. This time was worse.

As soon as Shoon finally stilled Keito was crouched down, wedged into the little space between the wall and the bed with him, and Shoon reached out blindly, his eyes squeezed shut, his hands trembling. Keito pulled him into his arms, picking him up completely and cradling him like a child, and he could feel Shoon's bones, knobby under taught skin, and he was so _light,_ Keito had no trouble standing with him in his arms. They both cried, hot tears of frustration and despair, and Shoon clung to him, hands gripping tightly to Keito's bare arms and shoulders. As they cried dawn turned to morning, and Shoon managed to fall back asleep, and Keito came to realize what he had to do.


	22. Chapter 22

Keito tucked Shoon back into bed, this time right in the center where he was less likely to fall, picking the pillow up from where he'd shoved it by the bedpost, and quietly he took Shoon's phone from his bedside table, exiting the room. Most of them were still asleep, so he sat down in the hall, his back against the wall, his feet propping his knees up, and for a while he cried a bit more. His decision meant he could no longer deny what was happening. He could no longer avoid Shoon's impending...passing. Or whatever. Fuck.

He looked through Shoon's contacts, finally finding what he was looking for—Shoon had his doctor's personal number. Keito held the phone up to his ear as it rang, taking big, gulping, shuddering breaths to get himself under control. The man picked up on the second ring.

"Yamashita-san?" He sounded weary but concerned. Keito swallowed some phlegm, and he spoke.

"Sorry, I'm not him. I'm his...I—I've been taking care of him."

"You're the lover?" The man asked. Keito was surprised; Shoon had told him about them?

"Yes sir. I'm Keito. Okamoto Keito."

"What's the problem, Okamoto-kun?" _What was the problem? Where should he begin? _He explained Shoon's condition, the doctor listening intently and asking questions. He explained that Shoon hadn't been taking his medications, and he described this most recent seizure. Once he was finished Keito begged

"Help, please." The doctor didn't respond immediately, and Keito heard him talking to someone else, voice coming through the receiver as if from a distance, and after a minute he must have put the phone back to his ear because his words suddenly sounded strong and clear.

"Okamoto-kun, Yamashita-san needs medical attention. I've got staff setting up a room for him here. Please bring him in immediately." Relief bloomed in his chest, small and subtle, and he nodded, before saying

"Thank you." The doctor sighed.

"I've been anticipating him having to come in soon. It wasn't that big of a surprise to receive your call. When do you think you can be here?"

"Um..."

"Just be here as soon as possible. I'll notify the front desk to have a nurse take him back immediately."

"Thank you sir." Keito said, and the man grunted a bit, hanging up. Keito closed the phone, looking up to see Yabu standing in the hallway. His older housemate had finally been declared better a few days ago, and he was relieved to be up and walking around.

"Who was that?" Yabu asked, pulling Keito to his feet. Keito slipped Shoon's phone into his pocket.

"The hospital." He paused. "I'm taking Shoon in." Yabu stared at him for a moment, taking in what Keito was saying.

"Okay. I'll call a cab." He looked defeated as he said those words, but he just pulled his own cell phone out of his sweatpants pocket and clapped Keito on the shoulder, taking off down the stairs, obviously going to inform Hikaru of Keito's decision. Keito meanwhile, returned to his bedroom, opening the door to find Shoon curled up in the sheets, still fast asleep, and he sat up next to him, legs pressed up against Shoon's warm back, and he nestled one hand into Shoon's hair, feeling the texture of it, just sitting there in silence, listening to the inhales and exhales of Shoon's breathing, and he already felt so drained, but the day had just begun.

He was finally dozing off when Yabu opened the door.

"The taxi is here." Keito nodded, unfurling himself from his position on the bed, and he ran a gentle hand along Shoon's back, hoping to rouse him from his sleep. The action however, garnered no response. He put a hand on Shoon's shoulder.

"Shoon." He shook it gently. "Shoon!" Still nothing. He shook harder, fear welling up in his chest—but then Shoon groaned, his eyes fluttering open, and Keito let out a sigh of relief. Keito sat back on the bed, waiting for Shoon to get his bearings, and he watched as the smaller man pieced his situation together, rolling slowly and deliberately onto his back, trying to sit up, to push his body up with his arms, but either due to difficulty controlling his body, or due to his muscle deterioration, he couldn't lift himself. He looked over at Keito, confused and scared.

"What...?" He didn't need to finish his sentence.

"There's a taxi waiting downstairs. We're going to the hospital." Keito told him, gently pulling Shoon up so that he was sitting. Shoon frowned, but he didn't protest. Keito got to his feet, scooping Shoon up in his arms. It used to be difficult to carry him, he had been so dense, all sinew and hard muscle, and his added weight would make Keito even clumsier than he naturally was before holding him in his arms. Now however, he had lost so much muscle that Keito could snatch Shoon from the bed as if he were made of twigs. He hitched one arm underneath the backs of his boyfriend's knees, the other wrapping around his shoulders, and he took a few strides, exiting their bedroom.

He paused at the top of the stairs, looking down, and Shoon looked back up at him with those big doe eyes of his, and Keito could smell his shampoo, and something else that was uniquely _Shoon,_ and it was comforting. And when Shoon tilted his head and blinked, Keito knew that his boyfriend was anxious, seeking comfort. He leaned in, kissing him gently as he held him to his chest, and once they broke away Keito steadily made his way down the stairs.

Once he had reached the bottom however, a voice called out

"Keito?" He turned. It was Yuto, his best friend looking down the stairs, confused and concerned. His words caused Yamada—still sleeping on the couch due to his pretend fight with Daiki—to stir. "What's going on?" There was no longer any point in hiding anything.

"I'm taking Shoon to the hospital." Yuto flitted down the stairs, frowning.

"What's the problem? I don't—"

"I'll explain. Go on ahead, Keito." Yabu offered, and Keito had never been more grateful toward anyone than he was in that moment. Yabu caught Yuto by the shoulder, and Keito maneuvered past the two of them, out the door, and into the waiting taxi. By this point Shoon was wide eyed, holding Keito's hand and looking out the window quietly, taking the world outside in as they rode, something almost childlike in the way he leaned up against Keito's side.

Once they reached the hospital, Shoon tried to exit the cab on his own, but his attempts were clumsy, and Keito rushed to grab him before he hurt himself, carrying him. Shoon frowned as they walked toward the entrance to the building.

"They're just giving me a check up, right? I don't want to stay here." Keito said nothing, just pulling Shoon's body a little closer to his chest and walking into the building.

It was quiet, only a few patients waiting in the front, and the lady behind the reception desk made eye contact with him before getting to her feet and calling out to someone behind her. He recognized her, he'd seen her when he'd come with Shoon for his regular checkups. She had always flirted with Shoon a bit; she was middle aged, and they had seemed to get along well. Now she looked a little upset. But the nurse she had been talking to nodded and Keito spotted a gurney out in the hallway, waiting. The doctor must have prepared the staff for Shoon's arrival.

A team of other nurses burst through the door, wheeling the gurney over, and Keito felt Shoon tense up in his arms. He too was tense, but he knew that for his boyfriend it was much worse. Shoon looked up at him, his eyes wide, confused and afraid, and Keito leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

"I love you." He muttered, as the medical staff pulled Shoon's body from his arms, quick and efficient. Shoon reached out for his hand, and Keito took it, intending to go back with them, not wanting to leave Shoon alone, but one of the ladies cut him off, separating him from the pack as they took Shoon back into the bowels of the building.

"I'm sorry sir, but if you are not family you cannot go past this point until further notice." Keito protested.

"He doesn't have any family! I'm his boyf—caretaker. I've been looking after him, he needs me." _I need him._ She apologized again, but she held her ground. Frustration welled up in his chest, and he—for the first time ever—wanted to hit something. Specifically a person. He wanted to be able to put blame on someone for this, to be able to defeat them, deliver justice, because _this_—Shoon so close to death and alone and him trapped here—was anything but. Hot tears ran down his cheeks, and he felt his whole body shaking, his hands clenched into fists, and he forced himself to take a few deep breaths, stepping away from the nurse, and he threw himself into a chair. He was stuck out there, waiting.

The room's other occupants were all staring when they thought he wasn't looking, but he couldn't bring himself to care if he had been making a scene. He sat in silence, frustrated and afraid and grieving, and he wasn't sure how much time had passed—ten minutes? An hour? When he felt Shoon's phone alert him of an incoming call in his pocket. It scared him at first, he was unused to carrying a phone, but he pulled it out, putting the device to his ear.

"Hello?" It was Yabu. Keito swallowed a ball of snot and fresh tears and he responded.

"Hi."

"What's going on? How is he?"

"I...I don't know. They won't let me back with him." Yabu cursed in response, his voice sharp and angry. There was a pause, the two of them mutually frustrated and scared, before Yabu said

"Hikaru just told everyone. Even Ryutaro came down for the meeting." He paused. "Some of them want to go to the hospital..." Keito didn't know what to say. He didn't know how he was supposed to respond so he just didn't. "Hikaru and I were thinking we'd let you two have a bit of time before all nine of us show up. We all want to be there, but...we don't want to overwhelm him. Besides, some of them...they didn't handle it well." _Daiki or Yuto probably. Or was it some of the others?_ Keito numbly thought. There were words coming out of his mouth, and he hadn't been aware he'd been thinking about Yabu's proposition until he was already responding.

"I'll see what the doctors say, and if they let me I'll talk to him and call you back with what Shoon wants as soon as I can."

"Okay." Yabu sounded exhausted, and he didn't waste his breath on a goodbye before hanging up the phone. Keito stared at the little electronic device for a moment, taking in its black plastic, boxy form before shoving it back in his pocket. He thought back over their conversation. So everyone knew now; no more hiding and keeping secrets. He didn't think he would've had the energy to do it anymore anyway. He was stuck in a state of suspense, waiting to hear from the hospital staff, his own body feeling heavy, but himself unable to relax.

He was broken out of his stressed, hyper aware state when he heard footsteps approaching, coming closer than any of the other katagi had dared, and he looked up to see a doctor walking his way. It was a man old enough to be his father, wire glasses resting on a rather rounded nose, his hair just beginning to show gray. He was tall, over 180 cm, and when he reached Keito he said

"Are you Okamoto-kun?" His voice was familiar—this must be the man Keito had spoken to on the phone—and Keito leapt from the chair, a nervous energy running through him.

"Yes." At Keito's confirmation he nodded, motioning for Keito to join him. They walked side by side, he led Keito through the two double doors into the depths of the hospital, and from there it was all clean white hallways and fluorescent lights, and as they walked the doctor spoke.

"We've done a physical examination, and we've got Yamashita-san on fluids and painkillers. He was reluctant to cooperate until he was assured that you would be allowed to stay with him. At this point in his progression there is not much else we can do."

"At this point in his progression, sir?" Keito couldn't help but ask, dreading hearing the prediction, but also afraid not to. The older man sighed.

"Yamashita-san's current state is not good." He was avoiding the question.

"How long does he...have?" Keito felt sick, nausea washing over him, dread pulling on his organs, and he stopped walking, facing the doctor. The medical man looked very solemn, as if world weary, and it was after a long pause that he said

"Perhaps a week." He sighed. "But it could be as close as the next forty-eight hours." Keito immediately mentally rejected that diagnosis, a fresh wave of tears running down his cheeks despite himself. He didn't even truly listen to the man's words. He had to be lying, and if he was lying then Keito didn't want to listen to him speak. He just wanted to see Shoon. His feelings must have been perceived by the doctor because he led Keito to Shoon's room, leaving him standing by the door. Tentatively Keito peeked his head in. It was a private room, to his surprise. Shoon looked much like he had at home; the only difference was that now he was in a hospital gown, an IV in his arm and a medical bracelet on his left wrist. His bed was surrounded by machines, one monitor steadily measuring his heart rate, the little green line spiking and falling in an even pattern.

Keito wiped his tears and approached the bed, and as he did, Shoon opened his eyes, his head resting on his pillow, and he feebly reached out for Keito. Keito crouched by his bed, offering Shoon his hand, and Shoon took it, squeezing it gently, and within moments he was once again asleep. He laid extremely still, his hair lying neatly around his face, his hand still gripping Keito's as he slept. The steady beep of the heart monitor was reassuring, and Keito took deep breaths, trying to make sense of what he was feeling and failing. He stayed crouched there until his knees ached and his whole body was stiff. He only moved when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Chinen, the petite man had a hospital chair hooked over one arm, and he nudged Keito with it, forcing him into the plastic seat. Keito looked up at his former leader from where he sat, and he squeezed Shoon's hand a little bit tighter, listening to the _beep beep beep _of the heart monitor.

"Thank you." He said, bowing a bit, and Chinen just blinked at him before peering over his shoulder, and Keito followed his gaze to see Ryutaro, still looking beaten, his bruises having bloomed and spread as they healed, the result a patchwork of violets and greens and yellows, and Keito was surprised to see him there. Ryutaro was not well, still confined to his bed at home. But Chinen took his younger boyfriend by the hand, and they joined Keito by Shoon's bedside, not really speaking, just sitting there and watching as his chest rose and fell with every breath.


	23. Chapter 23

It was a little after lunchtime when the rest of the household came by. They sat and stood around the room, and Shoon woke, talking with them for nearly an hour. They talked about lots of pointless things, interspersed with the occasional question about his cancer. Shoon answered them all honestly, and his responses were short; not just to the cancer questions, to everything. He only spoke when directly spoken to, and he'd cut his sentences off once the listener understood what it was he was_ trying_ to say, as opposed to what he had managed to get out. He kept a grip on Keito's hand, often glancing back over at him, as if assuring himself that Keito was still there; that he hadn't disappeared. This only lasted however, until his eyelids drooped, and he fell back asleep right in the middle of listening to Daiki attempting to divert the conversation away from his and Yamada's five year anniversary plans; as the special day was the day after next. Daiki and Yamada seemed to have 'made up' in light of Shoon's illness, and they were practically glued to each others' side as they stood there in the hospital.

They all stayed for a few hours after Shoon had fallen asleep, but then it was getting to be around dinner time, and Shoon wasn't moving or showing any signs of caring that they were there at all, and in groups of twos and threes they all left. As they did they all got silent, and the grief and shock they had been so successfully covering up in front of Shoon made its way onto their faces and into their body posture. They all dropped any smiles they had; those that had lovers clinging to them for mutual support, and some shed a tear or two, others practically running from the room. Keito barely noticed his housemates. Shoon had not once let go of his hand, and he scooted his chair up closer to the bed, laying his head down on the edge, snuggled up against Shoon's hips, not wanting him to feel alone, and not wanting to leave.

He must have fallen asleep, because he was jolted awake to the sound of the door shutting, and when he sat up he realized that the sun had changed positions; it was now nearly completely set, just a few last rays of light gracing the sky. His eyes swept over Shoon. He hadn't moved. In reflex his line of vision went straight to the heart monitor, the little green line still jumping evenly, and he felt his immediate panic wain, and he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawning. He readjusted himself in the chair, and he gave Shoon's hand a light squeeze._ I love you._

He sat there late into the night, keeping vigil, his stomach growling, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day, and as he sat his mind wandered. This—him being here this late—surely wasn't standard procedure. Hikaru or Shoon or perhaps just their reputation, the fact that this was_ their territory_ must be allotting them special treatment. He was grateful. He was _starving._ It had been nearly twenty-four hours since his last meal. His belly felt hollow, and for a moment he considered going out and getting food, but he dismissed the thought. He didn't want to leave and then risk not being able to get back in until visiting hours opened up the next day. He got lost in fragmented, half formed thoughts, his emotions manifesting inside of him without words to describe themselves, and he wandered inside his own mind for a while, Shoon's pulse manifesting itself in the beeping of the monitor, a constant assurance that he _could_ let his mind wander.

A yawn broke him out of his silent contemplation, and he checked his watch, its crystal face gleaming in the moonlight now pouring in through the window on the far side of the room. It was nearly ten o'clock. He yawned again, his eyelids heavy. It wasn't late, but it had been a long day. Sure, he'd gotten a nap, but he was tired, and with the lack of food his blood sugar was low, his energy level very small. He pulled his chair up as close to the bed as he could, resting his head on Shoon's belly, gripping the bed sheets. Shoon's scent, like flowers, and honey, and tea, greeted him and he felt a sense of security settle in his stomach, as if on reflex.

He placed a few kisses to the spot he had rested his head, snuggling in as close as he could, ignoring the incessant growling in his stomach, and the way his whole body ached from sitting so still for nearly all of the day. He ignored the wave of grief waiting in the wings to wash over him as soon as he lowered his guard, and the fact that the hospital was freezing and smelled of bleach, and he buried his nose into his boyfriend's stomach, feeling it expand and contract with every breath, and feeling the heat radiating from his body, his heartbeat audible through the thin sheets. He focused on its sound, and it eventually lulled him back to sleep.

Keito woke the next morning to find a tray of the hospital food sitting on Shoon's bedside table. On the tray was a note written in sloppy, barely legible handwriting were the words_ This is officially for Yamashita-san, but he's not going to want it, or even be able to eat it. Keep your strength up Okamoto-kun. _Keito sighed, looking over at Shoon, remembering how in the past few weeks he'd gradually lost his appetite. Remembering how he'd eventually had a hard time with even the smallest portions. It was true that Shoon would not eat the meal provided.

Reluctantly Keito took the tray onto his own lap. _The doctor was so kind._ He shoveled the food into his mouth, cringing internally a bit at the dry, bland, meal. But any food was welcome, and he ate everything provided, clearing it and setting the tray aside, his stomach still not full, but much better than before. He was amazingly stiff, his whole body aching, a dull headache—probably due to slight dehydration—amassing his skull. He stood and stretched, joints cracking as he straightened his limbs. He checked his watch again. Nearly eight in the morning. Wow. He'd slept pretty well. He let his eyes trace over Shoon's form, almost eerie in that he hadn't shifted at all in his sleep, his body in the exact same place it had been when the rest of their housemates had been by.

Keito took his boyfriend's hand, and found his fingers ice cold, and he grasped it in both of his own, using his own body heat to warm him. It was unusual; Shoon rarely ever got cold. Keito reached up to feel his face, and found it actually rather hot. Did he have a fever, or was this some symptom of the cancer? He felt Shoon's forehead, trying to gauge his temperature, and when he did, Shoon's grip on his other hand tightened, his eyes slowly cracking open, big and brown, and he blinked hazily up at him, a smile on his lips.

"Keito." Shoon mumbled, his voice slurred and gravely, and Keito doubted he would have understood if the word hadn't been his own name. Shoon tilted his head back a little, and Keito leaned in, gently putting a kiss to Shoon's lips, savoring the feeling and trying to commit every fleeting second to memory. When he pulled away he gently brushed Shoon's bangs from his forehead, feeling the smooth skin of his cheek under his fingers. He choked back tears, taking care not to let his fear, his despair show on his face. But Shoon's eyelids were already drooping once more, and he seemed unaware of Keito's emotions. Despite this his grip on Keito's hand stayed strong, and he murmured "Talk."

So Keito did. At first he tried to ask what Shoon wanted to talk about, attempting conversation, but eventually he realized that Shoon didn't have the energy to keep up verbal response, and he stopped asking questions and just spoke. He told stories his father had told him when he was a kid. He told Shoon about his first experiences in the Kumi. He told _their_ stories, their dates and their firsts and the things he remembered most from the past year. He told Shoon just how much he loved him. He talked for hours, and for a long time Shoon would nod the tiniest of nods, or give Keito's hand a small squeeze to show that he was still listening, despite the fact that he couldn't keep his eyes open. When Keito would remind him of something funny a grin would bloom on his lips, and Keito would feel accomplished.

Throughout the evening the rest of them all stopped by, this time in small groups of twos and threes, much less overwhelming. They all gave Shoon hugs, the older man weakly returning the gesture, and he planted kisses on each of their foreheads before they could pull away, the action a tender one that spoke of just how much he loved each and every one of them. To Keito's surprise, they all gave him special attention as well, putting comforting hands on his shoulders and giving him nods of encouragement. Many of them cried, and when they did the tears ran down their cheeks and their faces grew red and splotchy, their breath rattling in between sobs. It was disconcerting, leaving a foreboding feeling in the room, and Keito hated it when they cried, because when _he_ cried, he couldn't see how _broken_ he looked. He didn't have to watch, like he did when the others—all of them so much tougher and braver than himself—broke down.

This continued more or less, for the next few days. Keito lived at the hospital, not really showering, barely eating or drinking. He was brought clothes by the others, and sometimes food. He only left Shoon's side to change and relieve himself, and he continued to sleep half folded onto Shoon's bed, spending the rest of the time keeping vigil, just in case. Shoon was only awake willingly for perhaps twenty minutes of the twenty-four hours in the day now. He would stay awake longer when the others came to see him, but it obviously took great effort. He barely spoke, and when he did his voice was throaty and his words so slurred that it was very difficult to understand, and it was always in those moments, seeing him struggle so much, looking so withered away, that Keito felt despair wash over him like a tsunami.

And while at first Shoon kept a tight grip on Keito's hand, it gradually relaxed, and as the days passed, the more it relaxed it became, the harder it was to wake him once he had fallen asleep. His breathing was shallow when he slept, and Keito could tell by day four that Shoon's pulse had grown weaker, his heart monitor's incessant beeping alerting anyone in the room that Shoon's heart was having to work twice as hard as it had previously to get his blood through his body. Soon Shoon slipped into a nearly unrousable state, only rarely giving Keito's hand the smallest of pressures to let him know that he was...still there. Whenever he did this Keito would talk to him, fulfilling Shoon's last request by murmuring nonsensical things in the vague hope that somehow it could help.

Keito suspended his grief during the day, as nurses and occasionally a doctor would pass through. His housemates too decided by the evening of the fourth day that—numbers be damned—they would join him. They mostly sat on the benches lining the hall just outside, silent and miserable, the expressions on their faces a reflection of Keito's own grief. Occasionally one or two of them would pull up a chair next to him by the bed and sit a while, but no one knew what to say. He only cried when he was alone, and knew Shoon was asleep, feeling more helpless than he ever had felt in his life, and irrationally angry at some nameless god or the hospital, or modern medicine, or genetics for inflicting_ this_ on someone so obviously not ready to give up. Or perhaps it was just him that wasn't ready. If the others heard him, they didn't mention it.

It was in the next twenty-four hours that any attempts to get a response from Shoon finally failed. He was still alive; Keito could feel his pulse, affirmed by the heart monitor beeping incessantly next to the bed. The doctors called it a coma, stating that there was nothing left to do. And shortly after that diagnosis Shoon's breathing grew ragged, rattling deeply in his throat, a cross between a dog’s growl and a person with a sinus infection snoring. Keito vowed to himself that from that point on he himself would not sleep, instead watching as the day turned to night and the moon arced over the sky. But, despite the fierce will with which he decided on his goal, early in the morning he drifted off.

He woke suddenly, jolting up in his chair to the horrifying sound of the heart monitor, its shrill voice constant and unwavering, and panic crashed over him and he reached out desperately in the dark for Shoon's hand. It felt the same as he remembered, the same as before, but the cruelly flat line of the heart monitor told him that it wasn't like before. It was completely different. His eyes wandered up to Shoon's face—the big doe eyes still closed, his petal pink lips upturned a bit in a calm smile—and Keito stared at it for a moment, numb with shock and disbelief. Then suddenly doctors and nurses spilled into the room flicking the lights on, the space suddenly full to bursting with light and movement and life, and there was something so inherently _wrong_ about that. The droning, dead sound of the heart monitor, flat and spiteful overtook everything, and Keito was forced to take a step back to let the medical professionals near their patient.

The arrival of the medical staff woke his housemates, all of them sleeping out in the hallway by Shoon's door, and they too burst into the room, and despite all of the movement no one was speaking, everyone mute, and wide eyed in horror. For a few moments the doctors and nurses bustled anxiously about Shoon's bed, but then they all just stopped, dropping their hands to their sides, and the doctor that Keito had previously considered to be so_ kind_ called Shoon's time of death. The words, that hopeless, cold announcement elicited choked gasps and harsh curses, and a few desperate sobs from Keito's housemates, and the medical professionals turned off all of Shoon's machinery and filed out silently, leaving them to themselves. Keito stared down at Shoon, his body a shell of its former glory, his muscles small and weak, his hair stringy, his beautiful face too still, and he sank into the chair, his grief roaring in his ears, silent and deafening all at once. He felt so burdened with it that he did not know if he could ever find the strength to stand again. Keito leaned forward in the hard plastic chair of the hospital room, his elbow propped on the chair's arm, whole body numb and overflowing with a torrent of anguish. He could barely look at the beautiful face he'd gotten used to over the last two years. But something some small logical part still nestled inside him made him look; reminding him that _this really was the last time he would ever see it._  
And he looked down at the empty body, and found himself utterly and completely alone.


End file.
